NAROWAL: The district administration has seized 8,050 bags of wheat being smuggled to Afghanistan.

Reports said Narowal Deputy Commissioner Saba Asghar on the direction of the Punjab government had set up five centres for procurement of wheat.

Saba Asghar said: “In order to curb the smuggling of wheat, we have set up check posts at six entry and exit routes -- Badumalhi New Lahore Road, Dheli Nahar Muridke Road, Qila Ahmedabad Sialkot Road, Zafarwal Chonda Road and Pasrur Road from Dhamthal.”

She said the revenue and food departments staff and police personnel are on duty round the clock.

The deputy commissioner said 71,688 metric tonnes of wheat would be procured in Narowal district on the direction of the Punjab government. She said the administration was working expeditiously so that the required target could be completed on time. She said trucks loaded with wheat had been seized at check posts on Badumlahi New Lahore Road and Muridke Road.

According to sources, the wheat was being smuggled to Afghanistan.

District Food Controller Azmat Ali said 8,050 bags of wheat had been seized and shifted to government warehouses.

BAHAWALNAGAR: Officials of the revenue department have recovered around 33,000 bags of hoarded wheat and sealed various private godowns and registered a case against two hoarders in Haroonabad here on Wednesday.

The officials conducted raids in the city and recovered 1,000 bags of wheat hoarded in Al-Samad rice mill, 4,000 bags in Afzal cotton factory, 16,000 bags in Amjad cotton factory and 12,000 bags were confiscated from a private godown.

Haroonabad Assistant Commissioner Fazlur Rahman told journalists that wheat worth Rs100 million was recovered during the raids and handed over to the food department. He said an FIR was lodged against the Afzal cotton factory employees who tried to stop revenue officials from checking the factory during the raids.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2022