RAWALPINDI: While working on an annual plan for stabilisation of prices in the country, the Government has decided to maintain the dual price structure in regard to certain essential commodities like wheat and sugar, through subsidised supplies to the distributing agencies in order to ensure their availability to the common man at reasonable rates. The policy for meeting the immediate price problem is to give protection to essential items … without resort to price and other controls which had in the past led to corrupt practices.

For a permanent solution … it has been found that a real answer can be provided only by advance planning in regard to consumption and supplies. An initial survey … revealed that the system of collecting data which had so far been pursued was extremely defective and the data available was hopelessly inadequate. It has, therefore, been decided to conduct a fresh survey within the next six months to provide a basis for future planning… . — Special representative

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies,] Dr. Adam Malil, the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, said … that Indonesia’s offer for mediation between Bangla Desh and Pakistan was still on. But, he said, “this is not an easy thing.”

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2022