Daily Times

The Federal government has refused to grant permission to the Punjab government to import wheat. Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi expressed his deep concern over the refusal of the Federal government to grant permission to the Punjab government to import wheat.

The federal government has granted 2 lac metric tonne wheat to Sindh and is also giving wheat to other provinces. The federal government should feel ashamed of their dual policy. The refusal by the federal government for not allowing the Punjab government to import wheat in fact depicts its enmity with Punjab. The federal government thinks that by starving Punjab to death they can run the country and it is out of question. He said that if they want to take revenge then come into the political arena and complete their numbers. It is grave injustice by not giving permission to the Punjab government to import wheat. We will go to the Supreme Court and the federal government will have no answer.

The federal government is using wheat as a weapon adding that if they open the import of wheat for the private sector then the price of flour will come down. He said that the federal government has to give Rs 170 billion in different heads including net hydel profit to the Punjab government. The Punjab government is giving subsidy of Rs 3.5 billion to the farmers adding that by not timely increasing the price of Panadol caused its shortage and the federal government is responsible which did not make a decision.

CM said that Sindh and other provinces have been provided wheat being imported by the Federal government. The Federal government imported wheat earlier also but did not give share to Punjab and now the Punjab government sought permission to import 10 lac metric tonne wheat on self- payment basis. The Punjab government by taking into consideration public needs sought permission to import wheat according to the constitutional and legal way but the Federal government refused to grant permission. He said that the attitude of the Federal government about the people of Punjab is not only regrettable but condemnable as well adding that Shehbaz Sharif is conspiring to take revenge from the people of Punjab owing to turning out PML-N from Punjab and a nefarious attempt is being made to create wheat scarcity in Punjab.

He revealed that 16 thousand metric tonne wheat is still being provided to Islamabad from Punjab.He stated that the stock of wheat is comparatively less in Punjab during the current year due to various reasons adding that the import of wheat in Punjab has become inevitable due to the flood affectees and other reasons. Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi presided over a high-level meeting at CMO in which the available stock of wheat and other matters came under review. Matters pertaining to urea, phosphate, seeds of wheat and subsidy on the wheat being imported came under discussion.

CM directed to formulate a better and a practical modus operandi for giving a subsidy. Provincial Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi, Provincial Food Minister Sardar Hasnain Bahadar Dreshak, former Federal Minister Moonis Elahi, Chief Secretary, Secretary Finance, Secretary Agriculture, Secretary Food, Director Food and concerned officials attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi visited the Punjab Institute of Quran and Seerat Studies today. CM visited its various sections and inspected the Library, Auditorium and other offices.CM said that he had laid the foundation of Seerat Academy and the Quran Complex on 3rd June 2006 and inaugurated the Seerat Academy and the Quran Complex on 18th November 2007.He regretted that Shehbaz Sharif along with his other projects also halted this project and made the Seerat Academy non-functional.We had set up the Seerat Academy to promote the teachings of the Holy Prophet SAW but unfortunately the PML-N government politicised this important project.

The CM directed to display Quranic Ayats in the Punjab Institute of Quran and Seerat Studies and further directed to upgrade and digitalise the library. MPhil and Phd classes will be started in the Seerat Academy and with the collaboration of Madina University, Jamia Al-Azhar and other distinguished universities of the Islamic world MPhil and Phd classes will be conducted. Hostels will be constructed for the research scholars so that their accommodation problem can be resolved on a permanent basis. He said that we will also make a Quran Museum in the institution where the precious and rare scripts of the Quran will be placed.

The Seerat Academy will be the centre of decisions to be made with regard to the religion and a research work will also be done in the Seerat Academy regarding religious curriculum. Later, CM while talking with the media persons announced to grant 15% and 25% special allowance for the officials of Auqaf department and upgrading the posts of DG Religious Affairs, Khateeb and Moazan.CM said that scale of Moazan 4,5 will be upgraded to 7 the grade of Naib Khateeb, Madris 6,7 will be upgraded to 12 whereas the grade of Khateeb Imam 09 will be upgraded to 14 and the scale of Senior Khateeb 12 will be upgraded to 16. Similarly the scale of District Khateeb 16 will be upgraded to 17,the scale of Zonal Khateeb 17 will be upgraded to 18 and the scale of Provincial Khateeb 18 will be upgraded to 19 whereas the scale of DG Religious Affairs 20 will be upgraded to 21. He stated the Punjab government will give Rs 30 crore annual grant to the Auqaf and Religious Affairs department and Rs 5 crore will be increased in this grant every year. We will make such a law that no one will be able to stop these expenditures.

The opponents will not be able to stop our decisions constitutionally and legally.CM apprised that he had made Seerat Academy for the purpose so that the new generation can be enlightened to the maximum about the religious teachings and the Seerat-e Nabvi SAW. We will set such a trend that the new generation does not tread on the path of immorality. The research work is to be done with regard to the Seerat-e-Nabvi SAW. He urged the research scholars to guide us as how we can adopt the golden principles of the Islamic religion in the present conditions. Seerat Academy is the minaret of enlightenment but Shehbaz Sharif had locked the Seerat Academy. He regretted that Shehbaz Sharif closed all our good works including IT Tower and locked them. He stated that soon after coming into power he functionalized Ittehad-e- Bain Ul Muslimeen committee and the Muttahida Ulema Board.