Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif summons meeting over wheat scandal
May 06, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], May 6 : Former prime minister and ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has called for an emergency meeting over the wheat scandal, ARY News reported on Monday.
Punjab's Minister of Food, along with the secretary of food and other officials, will brief the upcoming meeting regarding the ongoing wheat matter.
According to ARY News, the focus of the meeting will be to assess the findings of the federal government's inquiry committee formed to address the farmers' issues regarding wheat procurement and to address the current status of the issue.
Sources indicate that PM Shehbaz Sharif will present the report from the inquiry committee to Nawaz Sharif, who will subsequently make a decision concerning the wheat matter.
A significant decision is anticipated this week concerning the ongoing wheat matter, sources added.
PM Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday taking notice of the issues faced by the farmers in selling their wheat and obtaining wheat bags, formed a committee under the Ministry of National Food Security to address their grievances, as per ARY News.
The committee was tasked with addressing the farmers' concerns within a strict four-day timeframe.
Shehbaz Sharif led a high-level emergency meeting to address the issues of wheat procurement through the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).
He emphasized that through PASSCO, the federal government is procuring USD 1.8 million metric tons of wheat, aimed at optimizing benefits for farmers.
The prime minister asked the relevant officials about the import of wheat last year and why the decision was taken to import the commodity despite foreseeing a bumper crop.