Summary Dar said ensuring food security and providing essential items at affordable prices remained key government priorities
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar directed federal and provincial authorities to take immediate measures to control rising wheat prices, including increasing market supplies and preventing hoarding and speculation.
Chairing a cabinet committee meeting to review the stocks, prices and availability of essential commodities, Dar said ensuring food security and providing essential items at affordable prices remained key government priorities.
The meeting reviewed national stocks, procurement arrangements, domestic consumption and prevailing price trends. Officials informed participants that supplies of essential commodities were adequate to maintain stability in local markets.
The committee was also told that domestic and imported wheat stocks were sufficient to meet the country’s requirements until the next harvest.
Regarding sugar, officials said its market price remained significantly below the government’s target retail price of Rs155 per kilogram, while available stocks were sufficient to meet demand until the next crushing season.
Ishaq Dar directed the relevant federal and provincial departments to closely monitor supply chains and market activity, stressing that hoarding and speculative practices would not be tolerated.
The meeting was attended by National Food Security and Research Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, the secretaries of the ministries of national food security and research and commerce, provincial chief secretaries, and senior officials from relevant departments.
