NAB-sealed govt godown looted in Sindh province amid flour crisis

SHAHDADKOT: As flour-crisis intensify in the Sindh province amid claims from the chief minister to overcome it by Wednesday, unidentified men on Thursday looted a government godown filled with wheat bags in tehsil Nasirabad of Qambar Shahdadkot district, ARY NEWS reported.

According to the incharge of the food centre, several sacks of wheat were stolen from unidentified intruders.

The thieves entered the godown after breaking down the looked gates and escaped easily taking away with them wheat sacks.

“The godown was sealed by the [National Accountability Bureau] NAB Sukkur authorities over irregularities found in the distribution of the wheat from it,” he said.

On January 19, Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah said that the government will overcome the wheat flour crisis in Sindh by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) had allotted 3,00,000 tons of wheat to Sindh, which is being transported from Punjab and Balochistan, the chief minister said.

The wheat supply to the province was delayed due to a recent goods transport strike, Shah clarified.

Talking on the issue, the chief minister said that 70,000 bags of wheat have been transported to Karachi, while 50,000 bags will reach tomorrow.

“The Government of Sindh has signed an agreement with the National Logistic Cell (NLC) and 200 vehicles of the NLC being used for transportation of wheat to Sindh,” Shah said.

The wheat is being supplied to the flour mills in Karachi and Hyderabad, he added.

The chief minister has also directed the deputy commissioners of all districts to control the prices of wheat flour in their respective districts.