ISLAMABAD: The prime minister said the government needed support of the Tiger Force in plantation of trees to deal with the climate change challenge as untimely rains are affecting crops.

Addressing a Tiger Force convention on Saturday, wheat production was less because of untimely rains, he said.

“We have invited you because there is inflation in the country because of various reasons including depreciation of rupee, which was the consequence of trade gap.”

He said when rupee depreciates all the goods imported by the country such as gas electricity and petrol as well as ghee and pulses become expensive.

He said that the country imported 60 percent pulses, and the second factor was due to less production of wheat. According to him, the country needed 27 million tonnes of wheat. He added that because of less production, some people resorted to hoarding, and now the government was overcoming the shortage of wheat through import. “You will not have to interfere, [just] take pictures from mobile phones and upload it on the portal, and then it is the duty of the administration to take action,” he told Tiger Force.

Sugar producers are few but very powerful as both the Sharif and Zardari families have business of sugar mills.

“We are introducing a plan, so that the people should not have to pay exorbitant prices, the prime minister added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020