ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday suspended Secretary Food Security Muhammad Asif and appointing Muhammad Fakhar-e-Alam as the replacement over issue of wheat import.
The Establishment Division issued a notification confirming the appointment of Muhammad Fakhar-e-Alam as the new secretary.
The premier’s decision came after he was informed about the wheat import scandal, which initial reports described in shocking detail. These reports indicated that federal institutions were responsible for the unnecessary import of wheat. Despite Punjab’s existing reserves of 40.47 lakh metric tons, an additional 35.87 lakh metric tons were imported, leading to an artificial shortage.
They said that the federal institutions permitted private companies to import wheat without adequate scrutiny, and some officials from the Ministry of Finance neglected to oversee the large-scale import.
The sources said that some officials from the Punjab Food department and Pasco could also be involved in the scandal. They said that the wheat was imported at a cost of Rs 2600-2900 per maund and sold at a significantly higher price of Rs 4700 per maund. Moreover, the import exceeded the permitted 1 million metric tons without constraint.
