Efforts required to overcome food overpricing.

Talking about the efforts required to overcome food overpricing with Mr. Kaukab Iqbal

PAGE Tell me something about yourself, please

Kaukab Iqbal I am the Founder and Chairman of the Consumers Association of Pakistan. The idea of the Consumers' Association of Pakistan was initiated while I was in Malaysia on a business trip, where I witnessed World Consumers Day being celebrated with zest and harmony. I was very inspired by this as there was no such association of this sort in Pakistan. I started work on Consumers' Rights and Protection.

I am also Board Director of Universal Service Fund Ministry of Information Technology Government of Pakistan, Managing Partner- of SKI International Traders, Convener - of FPCCI Central Standing Committee on Consumers' Protection and Adulteration 2021, Vice Chairman of National Standards Committee- Management System Standards Division(MSSD)PSQCA Ministry of Science and Technology, Member Technical Advisory Committee - Sindh Healthcare Commission, Member Task Force Commissioner Karachi, Lifetime Member - Arts Council of Pakistan, Vice Chairman - Pakistan Economic Forum, President Pakistan Sri Lanka Friendship Association, Member- National Standards Committee on Automobiles (NSC-Auto) PSQCA Ministry of Science and Technology, Member of Amnesty International.

PAGE How would you comment on food prices in Pakistan in the aftermath of floods

Kaukab Iqbal 65 percent of Pakistan's main food crops including 70 percent of its rice have been swept away during the floods, and 3 million livestock has died. 45 percent of agricultural land has also been destroyed. The such territory is precious in the best of times of Pakistan's total land area, less than 40 percent is arable, and land erosion inflicts heavy damage on agricultural land. So it is the root cause that food prices have increased in Pakistan in the aftermath of floods.

PAGE What is your take on the import of sugar and wheat

Kaukab Iqbal We should import sugar and wheat because after floods the situation is worst as a lot of crops have been destroyed and that situation tells us that within some time we won't have sufficient wheat and sugar, which is the need for daily use. We should issue a tender to import sugar and wheat. But we should be...