Daily Times

Former minister for food Bilal Yasin came down hard on the government over the recent flour crisis during the ongoing session of Punjab Assembly on Friday. As per the details, Bilal Yasin who was the Food minister of PML-N, raised question marks over the performance of Food department and ministers of the government. During the general discussion on price control on Friday, Bilal Yasin said that the government isn’t ready to accept that the wheat crisis is existing in the country. If there is no wheat crisis in the country then why the government is importing the wheat and why the Prime Minister has constituted a committee to probe the crisis, he asked.

“We served the country for five years but the current situation disturbs us very much,” said Bilal while adding that we also exported the wheat in our times but never imported the same just after three months. He further added that the price of sugar also increased by 25 to 30 rupees in last three months and government didn’t try to control the price. I want to ask how many meetings were conducted over the sugar price by the government and show me even a single photograph if they have any meeting with the Sugar Mill Association because the sugar mafia is very strong and it doesn’t give any importance to the ministers, said Bilal Yasin.

Earlier, the session of Punjab Assembly was started with Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari in the chair who directed to hold general discussion on Kashmir Issue, Price Control and Law and Order. Speaking on the occasion, former federal minister Sardar Awais Laghari said that the fear comes when we decrease the dialogue from our lives. He said that the rulers had to bear the criticism of the public in true democracy and they must resolve their issues amicably. Talking on the governance of the province, Laghari said that the Chief Minister Buzdar has miserably failed to deliver. “The Governor Punjab is himself claiming that the whole power rests with the IG Police and Chief Secretary here in the province. Why did the Prime Minister authorize the IG and Chief Secretary instead of the CM as this House elects the Chief Minister and the power must be lied with him,” Laghari said. Harsh words were also exchanged between minister Feyyaz ul Hassan Chohan and PML-N MPA Arshad Malik as both hurled personal attacks on each other while also using foul language.

Meanwhile, a high-level committee constituted by Deputy Speaker Mazari held negotiations with PPP parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza who was holding hunger strike at the stairs of Punjab Assembly for last two days. The committee consisting of ministers Feyyaz Chohan and Ch Zaheeruddin and former Speaker Rana Iqbal and senior parliamentarian Iqbal Gujjar convinced the PPP leader to call off his hunger strike and brought him to the House. It is pertinent to mention here that Hassan Murtaza became first ever MPA in the history of Punjab Assembly to hold hunger-strike as he spent the whole night in the assembly secretariat in protest against the wheat and flour crisis. Later, the session was adjourned to meet again on Monday afternoon.