NUZHAT NAZAR

Islamabad: The federal cabinet, on Wednesday, was informed that Pakistan has ample wheat reserves to meet the needs of people for the current year.

The federal cabinet met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

While briefing media in Islamabad about the decisions taken by the federal cabinet, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the current stocks of wheat are two percent more than the stocks of last year.

She said the country has more reserves of wheat in comparison with the last year’s reserves. Despite the floods, there is no threat of a wheat crisis in the country, she added.

She said efficient planning of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research has ensured that there should not be any food crisis in the country. The cabinet appreciated the performance of Federal Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema and the concerned department.

Aurangzeb said the cabinet also approved the sale of a building owned by the Foreign Ministry in Washington.

Two buildings in Washington are being used by the Pakistan embassy, the information minister said.

Due to not making a timely decision regarding the buildings, $ 819,000 had to be paid in taxes, she added.

The US tax authorities have said that if these buildings are not auctioned, $1.3 million will have to be paid in taxes.

The first bid for the buildings was $ 4.5 million dollars, now it is $ 6.5 million, said the Minister for Information.

The minister said that the prime minister did not accept the resignation of Federal Law Minister Nazir Tarar. The prime minister appreciated the performance of federal ministers, Senator Azam Nazir Tarar and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, she added.

The cabinet appreciated the services of polio workers in the completion of the national anti-polio mission.

Talking about the issue of Bhara Kahu Bypass and the Quaid-e-Azam University, Aurangzeb said that all the stakeholders have agreed to sort out this matter with consensus.

The special committee headed by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq heard the views of all the stakeholders, who agreed on the consensus recommendations, she said.

All the recommendations have been approved by the federal cabinet, the minister added. She further said that after being approved by the cabinet, these recommendations will be sent to the Islamabad High Court.

The investigation into PTV’s FIFA World Cup rights withdrawal issue has been completed. Negotiations with the FIFA authorities regarding the return of broadcast rights are ongoing, the information minister said.

While lamenting former Prime Minister Imran Khan, she said Imran Khan should not use Quaid-e-Azam’s orders to save his politics.

While questioning his tweet, she asked if it was the decree of Quaid-e-Azam that Imran Khan should force the constitutional institutions to break the Constitution.

Was it Quaid-e-Azam’s order to sell the watch, Aurangzeb further asked.

Imran Khan should not try to compare his “movements” to the supreme orders of the Quaid-e-Azam, she maintained.

Imran Khan will have to account for all corruption including Toshakhana and foreign funding, she said.

She said Imran Khan’s mind is not democratic; he is “a failed, corrupt, and incompetent” person. “Imran Khan wants instability and division in the country.”

She said Tehreek-e-Insaf ran “a nefarious campaign” against the martyrs of Lasbela.

Aurangzeb said that Imran Khan who came to overthrow the federal government announced the overthrowing his provincial governments only. The whole nation saw the drop scene of this play in the name of ‘real freedom’.

The government will fight all kinds of political adventures, Aurangzeb said.

Imran’s period was the darkest period in the history of Pakistan, she claimed.

The cause of inflation in the country is the mismanagement of the last four years, Aurangzeb said.

She said that the government will make Pakistan an economic power by uprooting terrorism.

The cabinet also prayed for the Quetta blast martyrs.