KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the provincial food authorities and other respondents on a petition impugning a ban on inter-district movement of wheat.

The Pakistan Flour Mills Association along with three flour mills operating in the provincial capital petitioned the SHC and contended that Karachi division was not a wheat growing area and the petitioners along with around 90 other Karachi-based mills were exclusively dependent on the supply of wheat from other districts of Sindh and other provinces.

Impleading the home secretary, food secretary and director, inspector general of police and commissioners of six divisions of Sindh as respondents, the petitioners submitted that food department had fixed the procurement target for itself at 1.4 million tonnes to avoid any shortage.

While making a policy statement on the floor of the provincial assembly, minister for food had recently stated that target of 1.4 million tonnes had been achieved and that the government had imported 400,000 tonnes of wheat.

The counsel for the petitioners argued that after the statement of food minister, there was no justification to keep the ban on inter-district and inter-provincial movement of wheat and the same was illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional. The two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh issued notices to the respondents as well as provincial law officer for May 31.

Meanwhile, the coordination committee of the Muttahida Qaumi Move­ment-Pakistan on Thurs­day in a statement expre­ssed its resentment over a shortage and skyrocketing price of flour in the city.

It maintained that the provincial food department broke all past records of administrative incompetence and corruption as the price of flour in provincial metropolis was not decreasing despite the fact that the rates in other parts of the country were on a decline.

The statement further said that the supply of wheat to the flour mills of Karachi was not being made as per their quota which might cause an artificial crisis of flour in the city.

“Corrupt officials of provincial government are taking a bribe of Rs100,000 to allow entry of each truck of wheat into the city,” the MQM-P committee said, and asked the chief minister to take action against such officials.

Report on ‘abducted’ child sought

Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh of the Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the inspector general of police to file a report about abduction of a child in Kandhkot-Kashmore district within two days.

The chief justice also sought reports from the district and sessions judge and senior superintendent of Kandhkot police on the subject issue.

According to a statement issued by the registrar SHC, the chief justice took notice of the incident reported in the newspapers and a disconsolate video clip also went viral on social media showing a kidnapped child striving for food as his hands were tied back.

“The child is said to be Samrat Kumar of Kandhkot; you are directed to submit report in the subject matter within two days through fax/email, for placing before the Hon’ble Chief Justice, as desired,” it added.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2023