Islamabad
The Federal Cabinet on Tuesday approved the request for granting powers of ‘inquiry commission’ to the committee formed recently to probe the recent wheat flour and sugar shortage in the country.
“The committee, which is due to present its report on the shortage of two commodities before the cabinet next week, has been given powers of ‘inquiry commission’ under the Commission of Inquiry Act 2017, ” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan told the media here after the Federal Cabinet’s weekly session.
She said the Federal Investigation Agency’s director general, who was convener of the committee, sought some time from the cabinet for submission of the report, while updating it about the recent developments.
Dr Firdous said most of the cabinet members stressed on making the report on the shortage of wheat flour and sugar public at the earliest. The report would be submitted before the cabinet soon, she added. She said the status of inquiry commission would give legal cover to the committee to visit the relevant departments during the inquiry process and forensic audit of their accounts.
The FIA DG told the cabinet that the forensic audit of accounts was imperative to expose elements behind the sugar crisis, she said.
The cabinet also decided to include the DG anti-corruption and senior representatives of the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Intelligence Bureau and the Federal Board of Revenue in the commission. The inquiry commission would also be authorized to form special committees for certain matters. Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the committee to step up its efforts to conclude the fact-finding process so that the culprits could be taken to the task, she added.
