Lahore: LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) founder Nawaz Sharif has summoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Jati Umra residence to discuss the wheat crisis as the Punjab government refuses to take responsibility for the ongoing issue.
According to sources, the prime minister will brief Nawaz Sharif regarding the wheat scandal in the meeting.
They said, in a meeting on Friday, Nawaz was briefed on the negotiations held with the farmers protesting the delay in wheat purchase and reducing by half the procurement target this season.
The former premier was told that 0.7 million tonnes of grain were imported in the first month of the incumbent government’s rule and that approval for the wheat purchase had been sought days after the shipment had set sail for Pakistan.
Nawaz was informed that a cargo ship usually takes 25 days to reach Pakistan from the country selling the wheat, but in this case the shipment arrived here in seven days after the approval was given by the (caretaker) government, while a huge carryover stock was already available.
Earlier the day, Shehbaz Sharif ordered an inquiry into the irregularity in wheat import. He also sacked Secretary Food Security Muhammad Asif.
“The present government has nothing to do with the wheat crisis as it has been created by the caretaker setup by importing wheat from abroad when the local crop was about to mature,” said Punjab information minister Azma Bokhari.
