ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the provincial governments to ensure stability of prices of roti (bread) and wheat flour in the provinces so that these essential items are provided to people at affordable rates.

The directive was issued at a meeting of the federal cabinet presided over by PM Khan here on Tuesday.

“During the meeting, the prime minister issued directives to the food security ministry and all provincial governments to ensure that prices of roti and wheat flour are not increased at any level,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said at a post-cabinet meeting press conference.

The prime minister, she said, also emphasised that the authorities concerned should make frequent visits to storages and godowns so that no one could hoard wheat and wheat flour and that these items should be available to people at reasonable rates.

Responding to a question, Dr Awan refuted the impression of a conspiracy regarding a fault developed in the special aircraft of the prime minister when he was on his way to the country after attending the UN General Assembly session in New York. “It was a technical fault which can develop anytime in the machinery. There was no defined agenda behind it so there is no need to hold any inquiry into the matter,” she added.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan is safe as he has prayers of 220 million people in the country and the entire Muslim world because he has emerged as a leader of Muslim ummah,” she said.

Answering a question about reports of a possible reshuffle in the federal cabinet, she said: “It is the right and sole prerogative of the prime minister to make any change in his team and the cabinet at any stage and no one can challenge it.”

Dr Awan, however, said a section of the media had run news that the prime minister wanted to replace her. She claimed that the prime minister had appreciated her work during the cabinet meeting and assured her that she would continue to work in her present capacity.

The SAPM said the cabinet meeting also discussed dengue fever currently hitting the country and the prime minister directed the provincial governments to devise a joint strategy for prevention of the fatal disease for the next four years. He assured the provinces that the Centre would provide them all assistance to fight the disease.

About Mr Khan’s recent visit to the United States to attend the UNGA session, Dr Awan said the prime minister had apprised the cabinet members of his 120 meetings and interactions with world leaders during his stay in the US and pointed out that a number of them (world leaders) were not aware of the gross human rights violations in India-held Kashmir and false narrative of Islamophobia before such meetings.

Joint TV channel

The SAPM said that during the visit to the US, PM Khan had held an important meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad and the three leaders decided to establish a joint English TV channel on the pattern of BBC. “The joint TV channel will help promote real face of moderate Islam and dilute the false narrative of Islamophobia,” she added.

The cabinet decided to fill vacant Quaid-i-Azam chairs in international universities so that the values, tradition and soft image of Pakistan could be promoted abroad.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2019