PM Shehbaz calls for measures to control wheat, flour prices in KP

LAHORE: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to control the prices of wheat and flour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), besides increasing supply from Punjab province, ARY News reported.

The prime minister issued the directives while chairing a meeting to review procurement and supply and demand of wheat in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi, PM’s Adviser Engineer Amir Muqam, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, federal secretaries, chief secretaries and other senior officials.

During the meeting, PM Shehbaz while taking notice of price hike of wheat and flour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province directed the relevant authorities to take immediate measures to control it, besides increasing supply from Punjab province.

The prime minister expressed his satisfaction over the current bumper wheat yield in the country and desired practical steps to provide its benefits to the farmers. The meeting was apprised that KP was being provided with 300,000 flour bags of 10 kg on daily basis.

He directed for increasing the supply bulk and directed the chief secretaries of KP and Punjab provinces to jointly devise a mechanism in this regard.

PM Shehbaz further said that hoarding and smuggling of wheat would not be tolerated in any manner and directed for strict action against the hoarders so that the supply of basic requirement of atta to general public could be ensured without any hindrance.

The meeting was further informed that the province of Punjab would soon complete the wheat procurement target. The chief secretary KP informed that the province was receiving a supply of 80,000 ton of wheat from PASCO.