PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister for Information and Public Relations Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has said that no incident involving smuggling of wheat to the neighbouring country has been reported from the province.

An official communiqué issued on Sunday stated that the provincial food department had set up two check posts in addition to the already established posts managed by the FC, FIA and Customs personnel and that no smuggling of wheat to Afghanistan had been reported. Commenting on a news report, Barrister Saif said the provincial food department had established a robust control mechanism. The supply of wheat and flour is monitored through a digital system on a daily basis.

The chief minister’s special assistant said that international borders between Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are monitored by the federal government agencies like Customs, FIA and FC. Moreover, the borders have been fenced.

“It is the responsibility of these agencies to stop smuggling of wheat, if there is any,” he remarked.

“Only legal transportation of wheat and flour is allowed through the borders,” he said, as the borders have been sealed.

He was of the view that the demand for the commodities in the provincial markets and their movement from Punjab etc are checked at every level and smuggling across the international borders is not possible.

Barrister Saif claimed that the federal government had tried to give a wrong impression by asking the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to curb smuggling of wheat.

The provincial government would urge the federal government to take worthwhile steps for the welfare of the masses, instead of indulging in political point-scoring, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022