PM Imran directs action against fertiliser manufacturers creating artificial shortages

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to take action against fertiliser manufacturers, involved in creating artificial shortages to escalate prices.

He said this while chairing a high level meeting in Islamabad which reviewed wheat and fertiliser stocks in the country.

Imran Khan expressed serious concern over the disproportionate stock distribution of urea. He also directed that fertiliser be provided to other areas as per requirement of farmers, Radio Pakistan reported.

On November 23, the Fertiliser Review Committee had asked the provincial governments to take strict action against hoarders and those engaged in black marketing of fertilisers.

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Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar, who chaired the meeting, had expressed concern over the hoarding of an essential commodity for farmers and asked the provincial governments to take strict action against hoarders and those engaged in black marketing of fertilisers.

Seeking to allay issues related to supply of crop nutrients, the minister had said that the government took all measures, including uninterrupted gas supply to the fertiliser plants to ensure well-timed availability of urea fertiliser to the farmers at affordable prices; but the government would not tolerate market exploitation by fertiliser dealers, he had added.