Ishaq Dar chairs wheat steering committee, orders flour price decline be sustained

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of the steering committee on wheat on Wednesday. The meeting reviewed the overall availability of grain across the country. It also reviewed wheat import planning to keep local supply stable. These details were given in a press release issued by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office.

Ishaq Dar said that maintaining ample wheat stocks and avoiding any break in grain supply were among the government’s top priorities. He said effective coordination between federal and provincial institutions was essential to keep basic food items available to the public at reasonable prices.

He directed the officials concerned to keep a close watch on market trends, ensure adequate wheat supply across the country and sustain the downward trend in flour prices.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa attended the meeting. The secretaries of national food security, commerce and maritime affairs were present, as were senior officials of all the provinces and of the ministries and departments concerned.

According to The Express Tribune, Rana Tanveer Hussain had said a day earlier that the federal government had framed a national wheat policy after nearly four decades and fixed the wheat price at Rs4,500 per maund. He said all provincial governments had been consulted before the decision. He also announced that strategic reserves of up to six million metric tons would be held this year to ensure an uninterrupted supply of grain and protect against possible market disruption.

According to the same newspaper, Karachi Port Trust said the vessel MV Gokova M, carrying 51,000 metric tons of wheat, arrived at Karachi port at 12:25pm on 28 October 2026. It was berthed at berths 16 and 17, and the cargo was unloaded at Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Limited. Another vessel, MV Great Rainbow, carrying 59,132.19 metric tons of wheat, is expected to arrive on 3 November. The total consignment will then exceed 110,000 metric tons.