Senior & Food Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan has said that stern action will be taken against ghost companies working only for wheat quota while genuine seed companies will be encouraged and Food Department will also extend full cooperation to them.
He expressed these views while talking to a Seed Association of Pakistan delegation led by its chairman Chaudhry Bilal Ahmed. Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industries President Mian Anjum Nisar and former chairman of Seed Association Rana Salman Mehmood were also present. Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan said that hoarding and smuggling of wheat is a very serious issue as wheat grown in Punjab is smuggled illegally to KP and from there to Afghanistan.
He said that we have to meet our needs first and after that wheat will be also available for brother provinces. Abdul Aleem Khan said that after taking charge of the Ministry of Food he did not impose any restriction on the transportation of inter-district wheat in Punjab but without a formal permit wheat could not be sent out of Punjab.
Aleem Khan said that legitimate problems of seed companies will be resolved on priority basis as he realizes that sufficient quantity of seed is required for the next crop. He asked the chairman of the Seed Association to prepare a list of actually working companies so that they could start supplying wheat in accordance with the rules and regulations of Food Department.
Chaudhary Bilal Ahmed, Chairman, Seed Association of Pakistan, said that so far wheat for seeds supplied to the seed companies is in very small quantity. He suggested that the Food Department should release wheat for seed so that flour can be cropped and harvested in the next season and there should be no shortage. He appreciated the steps taken to curb smuggling and hoarding and offered his all possible cooperation to Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on behalf of himself and his Association.
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries President Mian Anjum Nisar and participants of the meeting congratulated Abdul Aleem Khan on assuming the post of senior minister and appreciated the steps taken by him for the betterment of Food Department.
