ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on Tuesday has approved a probe into the wheat and sugar crisis.
During the meeting of NAB’s executive board, the participants decided to launch an investigation into the price hike of sugar and flour, alleged smuggling and subsidy issue.
In a statement released to the media, the anti-graft watchdog said a decision to probe reports of “plunder worth billions of rupees” through smuggling, price gouging, alleged subsidies and other aspects of these crises was taken during a meeting of the bureau’s executive committee, presided by by NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.
Earlier this year, the country was battling shortages in the supply of both commodities, which had led to a surge in prices, leading to fierce criticism of the government’s policies as an inflation-battered public was left even more burdened.
Under pressure, Prime Minister Imran Khan, amidst allegations his own allies were behind the crises, had announced an inquiry promising strict punishment for anyone found guilty of profiting from these scandals.
On April 4, two reports by the Federal Investigation Agency on the said crises were made public, exposing ruling PTI’s bigwig Jahangir Tareen, Khusro Bakhtiar, PML-Q’s Monis Elahi and their relatives as being involved in the scam and benefiting from export subsidies at a time when the commodity was short in the country.
On April 6, while terming the inquiry reports on sugar and wheat crises in the country “unprecedented”, Prime Minister Imran said he would wait for a detailed forensic report — expected to be released on April 25 — on the matter before taking action against anyone.
He vowed that no powerful lobby would be able to gain undue profit and create an artificial shortage of essential items in the future.
The same day, in a surprise move, the prime minister reshuffled his cabinet for a third time since forming his government in August 2018. Among others, the minister for national food security, Bakhtiar — who was also named as a beneficiary in the FIA reports — was reassigned to t portfolio of economic affairs.
Reports from the same day also suggested Tareen was removed from his position as the chairman of the country’s Agriculture Task Force, but he denied this, saying he was never appointed to any position in the first place.
