ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday said that the government was working on a strategy to control the inflation and stabilise prices of the essential commodities.

Addressing a news conference along with Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to bring down the prices of the basic food items in the best interest of the general public.

The information minister said there were several reasons of the price hike and one of them was hoarding, to create shortage of the basic items in the market.

He said the government was committed to exposing the hoarders and no stone would be left unturned in that regard.

Speaking on the occasion, Syed Fakhar Imam said that the government was determined to ensure the provision of wheat in the country.

He said the shortage of wheat had started in the country a few months ago, but with the government's measures, it would soon end.

"The hoarders kept a close look at support price," he said, adding that they earned profits from hoarding.

The minister noted that primarily, it was the responsibility of the provinces to take steps and measures necessary against the menace.

He said that there was a shortage of 1.5 million tonnes of wheat in the country and at least 63,000 tonnes of wheat had been imported and had reached Karachi port.

"Due to the imported wheat, the prices of the wheat will reduce," Imam claimed.

"By September, more than 800,000 tonnes of wheat will reach the country [...] it has been decided that the commodity will be imported through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP)," he said.

He said that the government was also taking steps to provide high quality seeds to farmers.

"45 tonnes of cottonseed is required [...] the government is working on procuring 30 tonnes of high quality seeds for now," Imam said.

Speaking further on imports, the minister said that Pakistan imports at least 2.5 billion worth of oil.

"Last year, 129,000 tonnes of mangoes were exported," Imam said.

"Despite coronavirus, mango exports will be higher this year."

He said the government had decided to import wheat, which would help stablise the price of flour. He said we are making a comprehensive planning with regard to the wheat.

The federal minister said special attention is also being paid to the agriculture sector in the best interest of the country.

Responding to a question, the information minister said the government was desirous of bringing prosperity in the lives of people and was fully committed to this end.

Regarding rains causing damage in Karachi, he said PPP was responsible for Karachi's dismal state and was only blaming the Centre to hide its own shortcomings.

"PPP said they would transform Larkana into Karachi. Instead, they did the opposite, and turned Karachi into Larkana."

Faraz said that the party was blaming the federal government to cover up its own incompetence and inefficiency.

"Whether it is coronavirus or any other matter, Sindh has always politicised it."

"God is exposing Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Chief Minister Sindh [Murad Ali Shah]," he said, adding that the province had not blamed the Centre for rains, until now.

Talking about Nawaz Sharif's repatriation, he rejected the notion that the government was engaging in "point-scoring" over the matter.

Faraz said that the former premier had left the country "under the guise of treatment".

"He made false statements," the information minister added.

"Looking at his photos, it is clear he has broken the law," Faraz said.

He said that Nawaz was taking care of politics alongside his health, referring to a photograph of the PML-N supremo out on a walk with his son.

Faraz said that the government would avail all legal options to bring Nawaz Sharif back, to face the law of the land.

He said that the opposition parties were united only on the issue of protecting plundered national wealth; otherwise, they had different agendas.

"We face no threat from them."

The information minister said that the meeting between Shehbaz Sharif and Fazlur Rehman ended in a fiasco, and Bilawal and Shehbaz had opposing views on many issues.

He said that the opposition was trying to instigate the people against the incumbent government but they would fail in their "nefarious designs".

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020