Forensic report on wheat, flour crises to be made public, says PM's aide

People will be apprised about the whole facts behind the crises, says Firdous Awan


​ Our Correspondent April 26, 2020
Firdous Ashiq Awan. PHOTO: FILE

SIALKOT: Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan has emphatically stated that the forensic report into the wheat flour and sugar crises will be made public.

“People will be apprised about the whole facts behind the crises,” said the prime minister’s aide while addressing a news conference in Sialkot on Sunday.

She strongly rejected Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif's allegations about delay in the presentation of the report. “Prime Minister Imran Khan believes in across-the-board accountability and this is why he formed a commission to unmask the real faces behind the crisis.”

She said all the responsible institutions were made part of the commission and since it had to carry out forensic audit of last three years; therefore, it required time to complete the process in the most transparent manner.

She said the commission has demanded to further extend its period for three weeks and “the request will be presented before the cabinet for approval”.

Firdous said “Time warrants greater unity and harmony in our ranks” but regretted that the opposition leader resorted to allegations against the prime minister in order to keep himself politically alive.

“No family member of the prime minister is involved in the scam,” stated the special assistant categorically.

She said a relief package for industrial workers has been prepared which will be approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Monday.

PM trying to protect sugar culprits, says Shehbaz

She said the package was aimed at protecting the rights and livelihoods of the industrial workers. “This is only possible when we will shoulder the burden of the industries during these testing times.”

Therefore, she said, the package envisaged relief measures for the owners of the industries and factories.

Firdous said the testing capacity for coronavirus cases is being enhanced and by the end of May it will be raised to 20,000. “We currently have forty labs which will be enhanced to sixty.”

The special assistant stressed that responsibility rests with different segments of society, particularly religious scholars to play their role to contain and defeat this contagion.

She expressed the confidence that Ulema will fulfil their responsibility regarding implementation of the 20-point Ramazan guidelines in order to avoid the spread of the virus.

Firdous said doctors and paramedical staff are fighting as frontline soldiers in the war against Covid-19 pandemic. She said the government is committed to ensuring the safety of doctors by providing all necessary equipment to them. We value their services during these testing times.”

She said, “People still haven’t understood the gravity of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus yet.”

“We have been doing our work, but the public is still not practicing social distancing and self-isolation,” she lamented.

It is very necessary to follow the protocols to safeguard yourself and those around you from COVID-19, she said.

"If and where a lacking is observed, it should be immediately corrected,” the special assistant said, adding that only God can help the nation in its fight against the pandemic.

With input from Agencies

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