ISLAMABAD, May 18: Pakistan will import one million tons of wheat to serve as reserve stock during 2004-05, a high-level meeting presided over by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali decided here on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by all provincial chief ministers, federal finance minister, commerce minister and interior minister. After reviewing the wheat situation in the country marked by the uncertainty about the quantity of wheat in view of the damage caused by untimely rains and late sowing, the meeting decided that the Punjab would provide wheat to NWFP and Balochistan "as per their requirements".

The meeting also reviewed the progress of procurement of wheat by the governments of Punjab and Sindh as well as the PASSCO. The Sindh government, in this regard, was directed to facilitate the PASSCO to procure wheat in wheat growing areas of the province.

It was also decided that the provinces and PASSCO would gear up their efforts to achieve the procurement targets to ensure availability of wheat throughout the year.

The prime minister, according to official sources, directed the provinces to be vigilant to keep the prices of wheat flour and wheat under control and to ensure that there was no shortage till 2005 crop.

In this regard, he also directed them to ensure that no wheat was smuggled out of the country. The hoarders should not be allowed to exploit the situation, he said.

By Our Staff Reporter adds from Lahore: The Punjab on Tuesday decided to lend 300,000 tons of wheat to NWFP and 30,000 tons to Balochistan during next two months to meet their immediate requirements.

Once this quantity reaches the provinces, the Punjab will ban movement of flour as well. The Pakistan Agriculture Service and Storage Corporation (PASSCO) would meet requirements of Sindh.

Sources in the Punjab Food Department said that since it was hard to fix price of wheat for other provinces, the Punjab has decided to lend them instead. The PAASCO will return the same quantity.

The NWFP and Balochistan will transport wheat on their own expenses but the Punjab promised to deliver wheat at the nearest point to its destination; Rawalpindi in case of the NWFP.