The Sindh government has borrowed Rs100 billion from the State Bank of Pakistan to procure 1.4 million tons of wheat for this year, Sindh Senior Parliamentary and Food Minister, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro told the provincial legislature on Monday.
"Sindh has produced 5.5 million tons of wheat this year," Khuhro said, claiming that the province is self-sufficient to produce the grain commodity. He said government is unable to buy entire production owing to financial constraints; however, government is buying only 24 percent of the total wheat production.
The official support price for wheat procurement has been set Rs1300 a maund, he said in response to a question asked by PML-N's woman lawmaker, Surath Thebo on a call-attention notice during the assembly sitting. The minister further said that official wheat procurements have begun from April 1 and government was making efforts to help out the farmers.
Khuhro said Sindh government has set up 510 wheat procurement centres at different areas of the province and food department is distributing bags among the farmers as per its set policy. Earlier, at a question-answer session, Sindh Law and Prisons Minister, Zia-Ul-Hassan Lanjar told the house that 523 prisoners are facing death penalty, of which four are women in different jails of the province.
About the prisoners of outlawed organizations, he said that the total number is 268, adding that the government is taking help of Rangers to maintain an airtight security at jails. However, he asserted paramilitary forces are not permitted to enter the jailhouse, as they protect the vicinity from outer check posts while jailors administer the prisons.
In a break-up: Some 134 inmates are facing death penalty at Karachi's central prisons, 231 at Hyderabad, 124 at Sukkur, and 30 at Larkana jail. Among four women, three prisoners are at the death cells of Karachi women jail and one at Hyderabad. Lanjar said government pays fees on behalf of poor inmates facing legal charges to the lawyers advocating their cases. He said government continues to extend legal help to the prisoners at jails.
The house also turned down an adjournment motion of PTI's parliamentary leader, Khurrum Sher Zaman Khan who sought a debate on corruption in Sindh Tourism and Culture Department citing the Auditor General of Pakistan's report. Nisar Khuhro said the matter was referred to Public Accounts Committee which forbids a discussion on the motion. The house now stands adjourned till Tuesday morning at 10 am.