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ISLAMABAD: Commissioner for Agricultural Development
in Federal government, Qadir Baksh Baloch holding Punjab Government
responsible of current flour crisis in the country, has said
that ban on movement of wheat outside the province was becoming
a reason for its shortage in other parts of the country.
While talking to BBC in an interview ha said that, according
to the constitution wheat or any other food item could not
be banned to move out side the district and even union council,
while Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif had banned wheat
and its flour to move outside the province, he added.
He also notified that NWFP needed 4 million tons of wheat
while it had to face shortage of 2 million tons and Balochistan
also had to face a shortage of half million ton. “It
is Punjab government, which is a great hurdle for these provinces
in obtaining wheat”, he maintained. He also said that
less production of wheat did not the reason of crisis bit
it was mismanagement regarding wheat crop. He also told that
Pakistan was always failed to prevent the smuggling of wheat
and inter-provisional ban on wheat had made the crisis more
complicated. Qadir also informed that meeting of Ministry
would be held on next week in order to set the target for
wheat production for the next year, in which it would be likely
to set a target of 25 million tons, he said.—Agencies |
