Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar diminishes wheat scandal as ‘Storm in Teacup'

ISLAMABAD: The Former Caretaker Prime Minister, Anwarul Haq Kakar, downplays the wheat import issue as a ‘Storm in a Teacup’, ARY News reported on Sunday.

During his interview on ARY News program ‘Sawal Yeh Hai,’ Kakar emphasized the importance of understanding the intricacies of the wheat import mechanism.

He highlighted the government’s efforts to save tax money, facilitate private-sector wheat purchases, and generate revenue from import duties.

The former caretaker prime minister underscored that the decision to allow private sector wheat imports was made in response to the country’s wheat demand, aiming to maintain a balance between supply-demand ratios.

While denying the allegation of corruption and crisis, he credited the actions of the caretaker government for the decrease in inflation in the country, asserting that his claim can be confirmed through the records of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

While answering a question, the former caretaker prime minister revealed that by allowing the import of wheat, he asked the private sector to take advantage, as the global supply chain was affected.

READ: Kakar pins wheat import blame on interim provincial govts

He appreciated the PTI government initiative to issue Statutory Regulatory Orders (SROs) to import wheat during the COVID era was a wise decision as the balance of supply and demand was maintained.

He emphasized that no new laws were enacted for wheat importation, as the private sector had been authorized to import wheat by the previous government.

Kakar defended the government’s non-interference in market mechanisms, asserting its role in regulation rather than intervention.

During the initial part of the program, Kakar stated that August 8 was the last day of the PDM government, and caretaker government took charge on August 9.

In the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), it was estimated that the country would require 3 to 4 million tonnes of wheat to meet its requirements, meanwhile, a detailed discussion ensued regarding the reported shortage of 3 to 4 million metric tonnes.

“At that time, the stock of wheat including excess stock was 1.4 million tonnes, the procedure for meeting the shortage of wheat was reviewed and it was informed that wheat is procured through TCP,” Kakar maintained.

In response to the shortage, the procedure for addressing the wheat shortfall was scrutinized, with a focus on procuring wheat through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).

Former Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar further clarified that the federal government initiates wheat and fertilizer imports based on data received from the provinces.

He added that the former caretaker government allocated Rs 297 billion to earmark for TCP’s procurement endeavors, aimed at maintaining a strategic reserve of 1 million tonnes of wheat.

However, objections have been raised regarding the procurement methodology employed by TCP, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expressing reservations regarding wheat procurement from TCP.