KARACHI: Reacting to the statement of Sindh’s food minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Mahmood Moulvi has asked the Pakistan People’s Party-led provincial government that why the wheat was being released on October 15, every year.
“The Sindh minister himself has admitted that early release of wheat can bring down the prices of flour in the province,” SAPM Mahmood Moulvi said in his statement, questioning that why the government is not releasing the wheat earlier?
He further asked why was it necessary that wheat would only be released after the protest of the masses every year. “Sindh’s wheat crop becomes ready earlier as compared to other parts of the country then why the provincial government releases it late,” the Special Assistant added.
The SAPM also pointed out that flour was being sold at Rs58 to 59 per kg in Punjab, “while in Sindh the prices are skyrocketing and flour is being sold at Rs73 to 75 per kg”.
Mahmood Moulvi added that the provincial government was benefiting the hoarders by releasing the wheat late, adding that it was the responsibility of the federal government to import wheat to address shortage.
Earlier in the day, Sindh Food Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla had held the federal government responsible for the wheat shortage in the country by saying that Sindh releases wheat on October 15, every year. “In Punjab, the flour is being sold at exorbitant rates despite subsidy”, he added.
