AS the government is about to wind up the widely acclaimed programme for free distribution of wheat flour among the deserving families, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that provision of subsidized flour for the deserving people would continue even after Ramadan. During his visit to South Punjab on Wednesday, he also expressed his resolve to build Pakistan in line with the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
It was for the first time in the history of the country that the government distributed staple food free of cost at this scale which served as a genuine relief to the people during the holy month. The process of distribution was not as seamless as it should have been but the constant vigil exercised by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi helped streamline the process a lot. The plan to continue provision of subsidized wheat flour to deserving people is appreciable as there are no chances of any reversal in the prices of wheat flour in near future. In fact, the prices have gone further high in recent weeks, making it difficult for the poor families to manage their budget. There is also a need to focus attention on an uncalled-for increase in the prices of sugar and attempts being made to create its artificial shortage. It is ironic that instead of lowering prices of the commodity during the holy month, ex-mill rates have been jacked up without any justification leading to at least Rs. 30 a kilo increase in the price of sugar. In fact, we tried to caution the government when demands were being made for export of the sugar that such a decision would be exploited to create shortage in the domestic market. As the government allowed the export, sugar was also smuggled to Afghanistan besides hoarding by the mafia. Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) may be asked to investigate the scam and penalize those who, once again, acted like a cartel to fleece the general public.
