Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has initiated an investigation into the disappearance of 34,000 tons of wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO) in 2022. The prime minister has mandated that the corruption probe be completed within a week, following reports of bureaucratic non-cooperation with the Prime Minister’s Inspection Team since 2022, according to official documents.
PM Shehbaz has specifically ordered the tracing of the missing wheat and the completion of an inquiry against former M.D. PASSCO, Capt. (rtd) Saeed, within one week. Additionally, he has instructed the Director-General of the Federal Investigation Agency (DG FIA) to investigate the wheat scandal.
During the initial probe, the Prime Minister’s Inspection Team was misled, being informed that former M.D. PASSCO had retired. It was not disclosed that retired Capt. Saeed was also a member of the competitive commission.
The prime minister has also called for action against officers responsible for damaging stored wheat during the 2022 floods. He directed that the wheat theft inquiry report be submitted within two weeks.
PM Shehbaz has summoned comprehensive reports from the Food Security and Finance ministries about outsourcing all functions related to PASSCO. He questioned, “Why did the impact of the government subsidy not reach the general public?” and has ordered an inquiry into the administrative expenditures of PASSCO, as well as the bank arrears and interest against the organization.
The government has decided to file references in the FIA and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against officers involved in the corruption.
