July 28, 2008	Monday	Rajab 24, 1429

LAHORE, July 27: Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has criticised the Punjab government for failure to resolve the flour crisis despite its tall claims and large-scale arrests of farmers.

Talking to different delegations at his residence here on Sunday, the former provincial chief minister said he had forewarned about the possibility of a crisis before the arrival of the wheat crop but the present government lacked the administrative capacity to control the shortage and blackmarketing of flour which was likely to worsen the situation further.

He said there was not only no flour crisis in Punjab during his tenure in office but he also provided sufficient quantities of wheat to other provinces, including Sindh and Balochistan. Flour crisis was, however, worsening in Punjab with every passing day despite all the claims of Mian Shahbaz Sharif due to failure to attend the basic issues. Such problems could not be resolved by merely arresting and suspending government officials.

Pervaiz Elahi said problems like flour crisis required to be viewed in a larger perspective and understood before being resolved but those at the helm of affairs were busy in posting their favourite junior officials against key posts instead. Everybody was aware of the fact that they were suffering from an inferiority complex with the result that the self-respecting were preferring transfer from the province.

He said the present rulers had not only failed to change the policies of the previous government but were also continuing its projects despite blaming it.