KARACHI, Oct 21: The City Council, through a resolution adopted at an emergency session on Tuesday, expressed its serious concern over the persisting wheat flour crisis in the city which has badly affected the poor sections of society.

The unanimously adopted resolution urged the provincial government to take appropriate measures for providing wheat flour at cheaper rates by establishing mobile stores at the union council level in the city.

The Sindh government has already allowed each flour mill to set up stalls at six different places in the city, ensuring availability of cheaper wheat flour.

The emergency session of the council was called by the convener of the house, Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, on the request of treasury member Arshad Qureshi, to discuss the issue because of its serious impact on the life of the common man.

However, the session was presided over by Ahsan Siddiqui in absence of Ms Jalil, who could not attend the session due to the indisposition of her husband.

The treasury resolution was also supported by the opposition when Leader of the House in the City Council Asif Siddiqui submitted to the chair that since the resolution was an important issue and concerned all citizens, the names of the opposition members should also be listed in it.

Leader of the Opposition in the City Council Saeed Ghani and other opposition members agreed to the suggestion and thereafter a new paragraph was added to the original resolution on the suggestion of the opposition benches so as to adopt the resolution unanimously.

After that the presiding officer tabled the resolution for debate.

Initiating the debate, Arshad Qureshi argued that it was due to the faulty policies of the ‘establishment’ that the country was facing unending crises.

Giving a grim picture of the food situation in the country on the basis of global reports, Mr Qureshi urged the rulers to mend their ways and devise policies in the interest of the common man.

“It is ironical that while the country’s largest province is self-sufficient in wheat, the three other provinces – Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP – are facing a deficit,” the treasury leader remarked.

He pointed out that wheat flour was being sold in Punjab at Rs12 a kilo while in Karachi it was previously being sold at the rate of Rs15 to Rs20 and now at the rate of Rs38 to Rs42 a kilo.

The treasury leader’s critical remarks against the leadership of the Punjab created uproar in the opposition benches. Awam Dost panel member Anwar Baloch, on a point of order, drew the attention of the chair towards what he termed the political statement of the treasury leader, saying that instead of discussing the relevant issue, the treasury leader was making political observations.Thereupon, the presiding officer intervened and asked the speaker to submit his suggestions in the house on the subject.

Mr Qureshi then told the house that the government should take effective steps to curb the smuggling of wheat to neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan.

He also called for lifting the ban on the inter-provincial movement of wheat.

Taking part in the debate, leader of the opposition Saeed Ghani linked the current wheat crisis to the defective policies of the previous regime and held the Pervez Musharraf-Shaukat Aziz set-up responsible for ruining the economy of the country.

He said the crisis began when wheat was exported to America without taking into consideration the economic needs of the country.

‘Inherited crisis’

Mr Ghani argued that the present government inherited the crisis and it was taking all-out steps to overcome the situation.

Echoing the sentiments of the opposition leader, house leader Asif Siddiqui argued that the country was faced with a multi-dimensional crisis.

He stressed the need for adopting the course of dialogue to solve the contentious issue instead of agitation. In a direct reference to the suggestion of Al-Khidmat leader Ramzan Awan for a strike call on Oct 24, Mr Siddiqui said the country could not afford the politics of agitation and confrontation.

He reiterated the need for introducing uniform rates of wheat across the country.

Awam Dost panel leader Juman Darwan also held successive governments responsible for the present mess, saying that the government was trying to solve the people’s problems by taking appropriate measures.

Haq Parast panel leader Abdul Jalil presented a comparative study of wheat flour prices right from the government of Liaquat Ali Khan, when atta was sold at 20 paisa per kilo, till the time of Pervez Musharraf, when wheat flour was sold at Rs16 to Rs20 per kilo.

Mr Jalil said at the end of 2007, wheat flour was sold at Rs19 to Rs21 per kilo and now it was being sold at Rs32 to Rs39 per kilo. The treasury leader argued that the situation called for serious thought.

He warned that Pakistan would be under threat of the UG99 virus in March or April 2009, which could destroy its crops if preventive measures were not taken.

The presiding officer sought the views of the members on whether they wanted to continue the debate on Wednesday or if they wanted to vote. The house gave its approval unanimously in favour of the resolution and after that, the session was adjourned indefinitely.