Crackdown against hoarders starts.

Byline: Ashraf Javed

Lahore -- A massive crackdown against the wheat and wheat flour hoarders was launched yesterday across the country particularly in Punjab following Prime Minister Imran Khan's orders to not to spare the culprits involved in this shortage and immediately ensure provision of the commodity in the open market on government-fixed rates

'Profiteers won't be forgiven,' PM Imran Khan was widely quoted by the electronic media as having said as the wheat flour was being sold at an exorbitant rate of Rs 70 per kg in the markets.

PM's Special Assistant for Information Firdous Ashiq Awan has, however, buffed out the clamour sequencing over flour price rise by Rs 30 per kg as nothing else but merely a negative propaganda of political rivals.

She made a great disclosure by saying that 'real estate dealers' are stocking the flour to create fake crisis. 'If anyone finds it being sold at higher prices than the controlled rate, they should call us at our helpline at 0800-60606,' Firdous said.

Unimpressed, however, the nanbais of Peshawar have announced to hold strike today while Lahore nanbais have given ultimatum to the government for increasing the price of roti and nan both in case flour is not provided to them on the previous price.

Shockingly, too, Provincial Minister of Punjab for Food Sami Ullah Chaudhary has denied reports of wheat flour shortage in Punjab by stating that 'wheat flour at the official rate of Rs805 per 20kg is available'. 'We are ready for cooperation with Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments and Punjab should not be punished for someone else's incompetence.'

Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the Imran Khan's government has turned the country, which was (once) a wheat exporter, into a wheat importer. He alleged that the federal government had sent 40,000 metric tons of wheat to Afghanistan, and thus, intentionally had created a wheat crisis.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has, however, announced to resolve the crisis in just a...