Naib Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmad has expressed his astonishment on increase of Rs 100 per each 40kg in the wheat support price. He has expressed his strong reservations about the Constitutional legality of the action of the Federal Government because after 18th Amendment agriculture and the issue of procurement price is the exclusive right of the provinces.
The prime minister should have consulted all the four chief ministers and preferably discussed the matter in the Council of Common Interests and in the light of consensus decision the provinces should have taken any step in this direction if that was required and agreed. This would have been in conformity with the Constitution and also ensured harmony between the provinces.
Professor Khurshid has also expressed his reservations about the policy of arbitrary increase procurement price, first in 2008 increasing the price from Rs 450 to Rs 950 and despite the very mixed result of that action a rise of Rs 1,050 this week. Wheat price increase effect all the consumers, 72 percent of whom are below $2 per day poverty line.
According to Professor Khurshid the real beneficiaries of the earlier price rise were big land lords and middle tiers who were enriched by the extra Rs 300 million a year, while in adverse it would add to the miseries of the people and the poor farmers.-PR
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