Gilani wants national backing to face challenges

[pkpatriotic]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the government wants to take all the political forces along because they believe that the challenges, which the nation confronts today, need popular national support.

He said this while talking to MNAs belonging to the MQM at his Parliament House chamber on Thursday evening. Gilani told the delegation that he was interacting with every member of the assembly in order to have benefit from his/ her views and experience.

Commenting on the wheat situation, he said that the crisis arose because of deficient policies of the previous government. He said the support price of wheat was not increased when it should have been done.

Secondly, he said incorrect assessment was presented before the nation and huge quantities of wheat were allowed to be exported to other countries. Resultantly, the country had to import wheat at a higher price to meet the domestic requirements, he added.

The MNAs apprised the prime minister of various issues relating to the urban areas of Sindh, particularly Karachi, including load-shedding and Atta shortage. They assured him that the MQM would support every positive step of the government.

They appreciated the prime minister's announcement of allocating Rs 10 million for every MNA. They also appreciated the reconciliatory approach of the government and expressed the confidence that the government would be able to successfully meet the challenges, which confront the nation today.

Meanwhile, a delegation from different walks of life called on Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at

the PM Secretariat to congratulate him on assuming responsibility as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The members of the delegation apprised the prime minister of the problems of their respective areas. They also thanked the prime minister for taking immediate measures to improve the supply of flour as well as the electricity shortage in the country.

 

[pkpatriotic]

ISLAMABAD: The consignments of wheat being imported to overcome its shortage have started reaching the country, with two ships carrying 92,000 ton-nes of the commodity arriving

at the Karachi Port from Canada on Wednesday, official sources told The News here on Thurs-

day.

"Another special shipment of 50,000 tonnes of wheat from Canada will reach Karachi on April 27 or 28," an official of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock said, requesting anonymity.

"The import of wheat will touch 142,000 tonnes by the end of the current week," he added. The official said that the wheat import would help overcome the flour crisis in the country. He disclosed that a special committee was being constituted to investigate the delay in wheat import, which led to the crisis in the country.

"The government spent Rs 69 billion on import of wheat but despite this the country faced the crisis," the official said. "In the initial investigation, the responsibility of the delay in import of wheat is being put on the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), which was responsible for the import of commodity."

The official said the quarters concerned were seriously thinking of unmasking the elements responsible for the delay in wheat import and make public the details in this regard. He said a formal letter had been sent to the Federal Food Committee and the Ministry of Commerce for probing the matter.

"Now the government is devising a plan to avert the managerial failure in future," the official

said. "An effective policy is being framed to import 1.5 million tonnes of wheat in accordance with the directives of the federal cabinet so that the country does not face another wheat crisis," he added.

 

[gnabi]

ISLAMABAD: The consignments of wheat being imported to overcome its shortage have started reaching the country, with two ships carrying 92,000 ton-nes of the commodity arriving

at the Karachi Port from Canada on Wednesday, official sources told The News here on Thurs-

day.

"Another special shipment of 50,000 tonnes of wheat from Canada will reach Karachi on April 27 or 28," an official of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock said, requesting anonymity.

"The import of wheat will touch 142,000 tonnes by the end of the current week," he added. The official said that the wheat import would help overcome the flour crisis in the country. He disclosed that a special committee was being constituted to investigate the delay in wheat import, which led to the crisis in the country.

"The government spent Rs 69 billion on import of wheat but despite this the country faced the crisis," the official said. "In the initial investigation, the responsibility of the delay in import of wheat is being put on the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), which was responsible for the import of commodity."

The official said the quarters concerned were seriously thinking of unmasking the elements responsible for the delay in wheat import and make public the details in this regard. He said a formal letter had been sent to the Federal Food Committee and the Ministry of Commerce for probing the matter.

"Now the government is devising a plan to avert the managerial failure in future," the official

said. "An effective policy is being framed to import 1.5 million tonnes of wheat in accordance with the directives of the federal cabinet so that the country does not face another wheat crisis," he added.

Why did this all happen. Export 1 million tonnes of wheat at $200 per metric ton and then import 1.5 million tonnes at $500 per metric ton. A lovely way of making easy money while the commodity prices shoot up in the country and government faces a deficit of 46 billion rupees. Long live Pakistan