Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday announced that the government will come up with various measures to reduce the prices of basic food items in the upcoming federal cabinet meeting scheduled on Tuesday.
“I understand the difficulties ordinary people including salaried class are confronting and have decided, come what may, my government will be announcing various measures that will be taken to reduce prices of basic food items for the common man in cabinet on Tuesday,” the prime minister tweeted. He said at the same time all the relevant government agencies have launched an in-depth probe into the flour and sugar price hikes. “The nation should rest assured that all those responsible will be held accountable and penalised,” he remarked.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics last week reported that the inflation rate had risen to 14.6 per cent in January from 12.6 per cent in the previous month, scaling the highest level in 12 years. Inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), edged up 1.97 per cent over the previous month. Last time, the highest inflation in the country was recorded at 17 per cent in the year 2007-08. The data released showed that higher food prices, particularly of wheat and flour, pulses, sugar, gur and edible oil, were the largest driver of overall inflation in January.
Taking notice of widespread criticism of the government over unprecedented inflation in the country, Prime Minister Imran on Saturday had directed members of his economic team to take immediate steps to bring down the prices of basic food commodities – especially wheat, wheat flour, sugar, rice and pulses – within a fortnight. The prime minister categorically told the economic team that he wanted to see the prices of essential commodities coming down quickly and that he wanted results in just 15 days.
On Friday the prime minister approved a summary seeking to halt the export of 350,000 tons of sugar and allow the import of 300,000 tons of sugar through the private sector.
The sugar crisis followed a flour crisis in the country which affected major cities such as Karachi, Hyderabad, and Lahore with prices shooting up to Rs 70 per kg in some areas.
SAPM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday declared that the government is aware of a ‘nexus of corrupt people who tried to create an artificial shortage of flour and sugar in the country’. While speaking to journalists in Sialkot, she promised that the said nexus will be brought to task.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umer said the PTI government is taking all possible measures to provide relief to poor people facing price hike nowadays. The government, he said, is well aware of the genuine problems of the masses. He said there is a dire need to bring down the prices of wheat and other commodities in the country. He said the matter to bring the prices down is under consideration and masses will be given relief without further delay.
To a question about shortage of wheat in different parts of the country, he said the federal government has dispatched flour to Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa as per their requirement.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar also said the government is striving to control artificial inflation and taking solid steps in this regard. He said some mafias have created artificial crisis of wheat and sugar but the government is taking action against them. He said those involved in creating this crisis will not escape from the law, adding the government has started crackdown against such mafias as the prime minister is against every type of mafia.
Dar said PTI-led government is fully committed to fulfill its promises made with the people during the general elections. He said PML-N is responsible for current situation of the country because they artificially controlled dollar price during their tenure. He expressed the hope that the people will soon get positive results and fruits of the economic measures taken by the incumbent government.
Alleging that the prime minister is in cahoots with those responsible for the ‘artificial sugar and flour crisis’ in the country, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, however, called for a thorough investigation of the inventory and records of mills owned by Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar and PTI former secretary general Jahangir Tareen. “The only way Imran Khan can provide relief to the masses is by tendering his resignation,” she said, adding that ‘the unqualified, incompetent and corrupt bunch of friends’ of the prime minister are responsible for the situation which has seen the price of wheat and sugar increase drastically. “Thieving by [PM] Imran Khan and his friends has made Jahangir Tareen the richest man in the country while making the country more expensive and the people poorer,” she stated.
