In order to probe wheat import scandal, a four-member committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal has decided to interrogate former caretaker prime minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The four-member committee is holding its meeting in Islamabad to ascertain the causes of wheat imports and trying to identify the concerned officers who gave the orders of the illegal import despite the expected bumper wheat crop in the country.

The probe committee earlier questioned former Secretaries Food Security Capt (r) Muhammad Mahmood and Capt (r) Asif regarding their role.

The committee has also decided to question former caretaker federal finance minister Shamshad Akhtar on Sunday.

The committee was of the view that interim federal cabinet members’ role could not be ignored in the wheat import scandal and the inquiry report would be considered incomplete without the interrogation from the cabinet members.

The four-member committee earlier summoned the concerned officers of Customs, Karachi Port and the FBR.

The meeting of the committee is likely to continue till late night.

It is pertinent to mention that PM Shehbaz constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the import of wheat last year despite a “bumper crop”.

While chairing a meeting on the matter of existing wheat stock and further procurement, PM Shehbaz appointed Secretary Cabinet Division Kamran Ali Afzal as head of the probe body. The PM inquired about the wheat import in 2023 from the Ministry of National Food Security. “What led to the import of wheat despite an abundant production,” he asked.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Rana Tanvir Hussain, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Jam Kamal Khan, Coordinator to Prime Minister, Rana Ehsan Afzal and senior officials among others.

According to the statistics, a total of 3,449,436 metric tons of wheat worth Rs282.975 billion was imported during the caretaker government’s tenure and Shehbaz-led government during the ongoing fiscal year till March. The caretaker government allowed the import of 2,758,226 226 metric tonnes of wheat worth Rs225.783 billion till February 2024. During one month of Shehbaz-led government, 691,136 metric tonnes of wheat of worth Rs57.192 billion was imported.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz has removed Federal Secretary National Food Security and Research Division Captain (R) Muhammad Asif from his post on the issue of wheat import during the caretaker government. Asif is a Grade 21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service. He has been made OSD. Dr Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan, a Grade 22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, has been appointed as the new federal secretary of the National Food Security and Research Division.