Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday approved action against responsible officers for poor planning and negligence, sources said. With the government deciding to suspend four officials of the Ministry of National Food Security, no recommendations have been given against the caretaker setup or any of its key officials, the sources added. It is to be noted that PM Shehbaz constituted a probe committee led by Secretary Cabinet Division Kamran Ali Afzal, to investigate the import of wheat last year despite a “bumper crop”, which has led to excess wheat stock leaving Balochistan and Punjab governments unable to purchase the crop from the farmers. Earlier this month, the premier had directed Afzal to fix responsibility and inform the individual(s) responsible for the scandal and ordered the cabinet secretary to work out recommendations with available records and documents. The stock surplus has, so far, been attributed to the decision of the caretaker government – led by former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar – allowing the import of 2,758,226 226 metric tonnes of wheat worth Rs225.783 billion till February 2024. However, Kakar, while denying the narrative, has maintained that only 3.4 million metric tonnes of the said crop was imported; whereas, the shortage was of four million metric tonnes.