No wheat shortage in country: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP):Minister for Planing, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar Tuesday said there was no wheat shortage in the country but issue was created by stopping its supply.

Those who were involved in creating this artificial crisis of wheat should be punished, he added.

Talking to PTV, he said the government was taking concrete steps for controlling flour prices and to ensure its availability in the market.

Asad Umar said the economic growth would be increased in this year 2020, adding the government was still stand on its stance regarding provision of 10 million jobs and five million houses to facilitate the common people.

He said the prime minister had directed the Finance Minister for decreasing prices of basic commodities and alleviating inflation.

Replying to a question, he said Rs 750 million would be spent on development works in his constituency NA-54 during this year while the figure would be doubled for the next year.

The minister said the government’s coalition parties would remain intact and opposition’s desire of toppling the government would not be fulfilled, adding the government would complete its constitutional tenure.

He said the government had inherited lot of crisis including economy but due to sincere efforts of the prime minister and his economic team, the national economy was now being strengthened.

He urged all the political parties to play their role in legislation process for the welfare of the people and national interest, adding every parliamentarian should support the government in that regard by keeping aside their party affiliations.

Replying to another query, he said the government would not compromise on accountability process against corrupts, adding amending National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Laws was a difficult task.

He said first phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had almost completed while second phase was going to start in which agriculture, industry, social and economic zones were on the top priority. Railway ML-1 was the one of the mega project in phase two of CPEC, he added.

In Gwader, a power project was going to start which would be connected with national grid, he added.

He said he started work on three major initiatives including Kamyab Jawan programme, revamping in master plan of Islamabad and minerals, adding that though the minerals was a provincial subject but the federal government would provide every kind of support to the provinces in this regard.