The Punjab government has decided to seal all the borders of Punjab province to snub wheat smuggling. It has also decided that no private buyer will be allowed to pick up wheat from the province while there will be regular written purchase agreements with other provinces.

The decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting held at the Chief Minister's House and chaired by Senior Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan. The meeting was convened to discuss the wheat procurement situation across the province and the chief secretary was consulted on how to seal the borders of Punjab to stop wheat smuggling.

The minister said that Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has directed to form an integrated policy for procurement of wheat so that there should be no shortage of wheat or flour in the province.

Meanwhile, in another meeting, the minister observed that there is no restriction on the transportation of wheat in any district across the province; however, wheat will be supplied to other provinces after Punjab achieves its own procurement target.

Welcoming the launch of wheat procurement campaign in different areas of Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan, the minister hoped that target of 4.5 million metric tons of wheat procurement would be achieved easily while additional procurement of 5 lakh tonnes will be made for other provinces.

Aleem, who also holds the portfolio of the food department, directed senior officers of the food department to reach South Punjab within 24 hours and check complaints of wheat delivery and purchase in different districts, especially in Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. He asked them to take necessary steps on the spot to resolve the complaints.

Speaking to a video-link meeting with the commissioners and deputy commissioners of Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah and Gujranwala, Aleem said details of the procurement campaign of each district should be shared on daily basis so that any obstacle could be removed immediately.

He directed to form special committees to review the problems of seed companies in different districts of South Punjab. Secretary Food Punjab Waqas Ali Mahmood and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.