Wheat crisis echoes in Senate as govt remains in denial.

ISLAMABAD -- The Senate witnessed a heated debate over wheat shortage on Friday with opposition leaders holding the federal government responsible for the scarcity of the commodity - a charge denied by the federal food minister, who blamed provinces for the steep hike in the price of flour, claiming that ample stocks of wheat were present in the country.

During the Senate session, treasury members alleged that Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - provinces ruled by PTI - caused the floor crisis, which resulted in long queues at utility stores and designated government stalls selling flour.

Senate Opposition Leader Dr Shahzad Wasim, however, took exception to this claim and said the government's performance was limited to advertisements and foreign tours. Accusing the government of playing havoc with the economy, the PTI leader said the government wanted to run the country in 'their old style which was impossible now'.

Speaking during the session, JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said the country was facing the worst wheat crisis, particularly in KP. Quoting the statistics of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the senator said that the price of a 20kg flour bag was Rs 3,300 and live chicken was being sold at Rs390/kg on January 6.

'I am surprised that enough wheat is available in the silos but who is stealing the flour and chicken [resulting in their shortage]; who is stealing the dollars,' he asked, referring to the increase in the prices of chicken and flour.

He demanded that the federal and provincial governments should inform the nation as to who was responsible for the purported shortage of these commodities.

Senator Ahmad said no action was being taken against hoarders and added that flour was being smuggled to Afghanistan despite fencing and the deployment of the army, paramilitary forces, and police along the border.

'Who is smuggling flour to Afghanistan,' he questioned. According to the senator, 'The hoarders and flour smugglers are sitting in parliament' which was the reason flour prices were not being regulated.

ANP Senator Hidayatullah Khan also raised the issue of the flour crisis and the high prices of this commodity in KP. He said that there was a huge difference in the prices of wheat in Punjab and KP even though PTI was the ruling party in both provinces.

In order to ensure the availability of flour, the senator said the government should provide mills with wheat from its stocks. He also pointed out mismanagement at the government-owned...