ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday suspended two senior officers of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) over their alleged negligence and failure in ensuring transparency in wheat purchase.

Presiding over a high-level meeting to review the demand and supply and procurement of wheat by the federal government, the PM ordered the suspension of Passco’s managing director and general manager (procurement).

The PM also called for a third-party audit of Passco’s stock and instr­ucted the organisation to procure an additional 400,000 metric tonnes of wheat.

The PM also reiterated his government’s resolve to ensure development and progress of Balochistan.

“The government is providing equal opportunities of education and employment to the youth of the province to play a role in the development,” he said in a meeting to review Balochistan’s issues.

The meeting was attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, Planning Minister Zahoor Ahmed Bilidi and other officials.

Earlier, in an interview with Saudi state-owned television channel Al Arabiya, PM Sharif reiterated his government’s focus on economic advan­cement through massive reforms and structural changes.

“My government is totally committed to bringing huge reforms and huge structural changes. We are inching towards that direction, as, otherwise, it will be a futile exercise and will not produce proportionate results. We are absolutely focused on the agenda of reforms,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2024