ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed to prepare an action plan regarding the privatisation of Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).

While presiding over a meeting on the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and PASSCO, the prime minister also granted approval to the restructuring of wheat board with a directive to include farmers’ representatives in the Board.

The premier further directed that representatives of the Land Information and Management System and Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) should also be included in the Wheat Board. He added that effective steps should be taken to increase the production of wheat and other crops.

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The prime minister also directed the federal government to set up an alternative strategy regarding the purchase of wheat and to consult with the governments of the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and other relevant institutions in this regard.

The meeting was briefed regarding the restructuring of the wheat board and TORs as well as about increasing the production of wheat and other crops and reforms in PASSCO.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Tarar, State Minister for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervez Malik, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Jahanzeb Khan, Prime Minister’s Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal and relevant senior government officials.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024