Anti-price-hike drive from today: Tiger Force to check prices

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday announced to discuss the prices of key kitchen items in his meeting with the Tiger Force Saturday next, directing them to regularly check prices of lentils, flour and sugar in their localities.

The prime minister tweeted, “On coming Saturday, I will be meeting with our Tiger Force at Convention Centre. From now, till then I want our Tiger Force to regularly check prices of daal, atta, sugar, ghee in their localities & post on Tiger Force portal. Will discuss in Saturday mtg (meeting).”

For the last several months, the prime minister has been continuously taking up the issue of increase in rates of essential commodities during the federal cabinet meetings and at other forums, including the party meetings.

A day before, the prime minister also shared a good news through his Twitter account that starting from today (Monday), the government would use all the resources at the disposal of the state to bring down food prices.

He pointed out that they were already examining causes of the price hike:whether there was a genuine supply shortage or simply hoarding by mafias; smuggling, if any; or a price rise due to international prices such as for palm oil, lentils etc.

The prime minister said that from next week “we will have our strategy in place & action will begin using all state organisations & resources to bring down food prices.” Prices of essential items have recently shot up and specially the flour shortage crisis has got serious. Sugar stocks have vanished from utility stores, while the administration has failed against hoarders and profiteers. The decision of crackdown has been taken for provision of essential items to public on controlled prices.

Meanwhile, condemning target killing of Maulana Adil of Jamia Farooqia in Karachi Saturday evening, he urged the Ulema from all sects that they must ensure people do not fall prey to nefarious design to destabilise Pakistan.

He said in a tweet, “My govt has known & I have repeatedly stated this on TV, since last 3 months India's attempts to target kill Aalims from Sunni & Shia sects to create sectarian conflict across the country.”

“We have prevented a number of such attempts preemptively in last few months. Our intelligence orgs & law enforcement agencies will nab culprits of this murder also. Our Ulema from all sects must ensure people do not fall prey to this nefarious Indian design to destabilise Pak,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan expressed deep sorrow over the death of PTI President Gilgit-Baltistan Jaffar Shah. He prayed for the forgiveness and elevation of the deceased and condoled to the bereaved family. He said that the late Jaffar Shah was an asset of the party.

Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Shaikh Rashid Ahmed said that there people do not hate Prime Minister Imran Khan, but they complain of price hike. He said that all efforts are being made to control inflation and the prime minister "will definitely end it".

He was talking in Geo News programme "Naya Pakistan" on Sunday. "Imran Khan has learnt a lot but most of his ministers are inexperienced," said the minister, adding that dearness is the biggest enemy of the government.

"I talked about increasing prices of medicines in the cabinet meeting. I always talk about the poor people," he said. Shaikh Rashid said there is no pressure on the government and Prime Minister Imran is not going anywhere, and not in the least due to the opposition's protest rallies.

He said that the opposition has "misunderstood" that Imran Khan will step down from power just because of their protest rallies. The minister said the opposition will hold rallies and only help spread coronavirus in the country, "and there also may be an incident of terrorism".

Shaikh Rashid warned them that if they try to take the law into their hands, the law "will put its hands on them". He said that the opposition may hold rallies as it is their democratic right, but the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) will not go along with them and they will soon lose their support.

The minister further said that all these parties are afraid of Imran Khan as he has "no charges of corruption and theft". Shaikh Rashid predicted that the PPP lawmakers will not resign from the Sindh Assembly. A mass resignation from assemblies was listed as one of the course of actions by the opposition's Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to pressurise the government.

"I am telling the entire nation that the opposition have a dangerous agenda. This is a global agenda against the stability of the country and they are going to be their facilitators," he said. Shaikh Rashid said Nawaz Sharif will himself be responsible for mistakes he had committed, while admitting that he himself had supported his exit from the country for medical treatment.