ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet was informed that measures taken and mechanism put in place would ensure a reduction in the prices of essential commodities to village level, after Prime Minister Imran Khan termed the dearness as serious challenge affecting the poor most. This was stated by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Tuesday at a news conference, after a cabinet meeting presided over by the prime minister.

The minister added that detailed deliberation was held on the issue of increase in the prices of essential commodities by all the concerned people including the provincial chief secretaries, the food secretaries, and the relevant ministers of the cabinet. The measures and mechanism put in place would ensure decrease in the prices at village level, and address if any supply issue, the minister said an added that in the coming days, the issue would be resolved. He said the prime minister said that the inflation was a very serious challenge affecting the poor segments of society. On the issue of flour prices, the minister held the Sindh government responsible for increase in the price of flour because it did not release wheat.

He said the Sindh government did not release wheat but the situation would normalise soon as imported wheat by the private and public sector had started arriving.

He said the price of flour in Punjab is fluctuating between Rs950 and Rs1,000, in Karachi between Rs1,300 and Rs1,400, and the KP it is Rs1,400; however, to price of fine atta is relatively higher.

Faraz said that every prime minister had opened a number of camp offices on the government expenses, and over 2,700 police officials remained deputed in the camp office of the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Prime Minister Khan has expressed displeasure, and directed that only one camp office should be allowed to the prime minister with limited expenses.

The minister also came hard on former prime minister, and stated that while Nawaz Sharif and his sons are sitting in London, they wanted people to come out to protect their corruption, when the coronavirus cases are on the rise in the country.

Shibli Faraz said that the government had inherited a bad economy, and when it was recovering from the crisis following the measures taken by the government, the Covid-19 hit the country.

The minister added this was a hard time for all the countries, and Pakistan was quite safe, and now when the economy was started showing signs of improvement and employment creation was visible, the opposition alliance came into motion to protect its corruption.

He said the government did not have any issue with the public gatherings of opposition, “as it would not make any difference to it,’ and added the opposition parties had formed an alliance against the government to protect their corruption and to create chaos in the country.

The minister said, “We have come to power in a genuine way and if the election was rigged than why it did not approach the ECP and filed a petition and now after enjoying perks and privileges for the last two years, suddenly they realised that this assembly is illegitimate.”

He said that Maulana Fazlur Rahman was using the PPP and the PML-N, and those parties were using Maulana.

Replying to questions, the minister said that Roosevelt Hotel property was now clear after payment of liabilities, and the government had appointed a consultant to ascertain was the best option for the use of the property in the given situation.

He said that there was circular debt in gas sector as well due to past policies and government effort was to deal with the problem. The minister said that meeting approved the PIA members. Tiger Force is a volunteer force and it should be encouraged instead of making them controversial.