Front foot against France

THE Federal Cabinet, while taking strong exception of the publication of blasphemous caricatures in France and hurting the sentiments of Muslims, on Tuesday said disrespect for the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) was intolerable and unacceptable for any Muslim. The cabinet, which met here with Prime Minister Imran Khan in chair, also condemned in the strongest terms the remarks of French President Emmanuel Macron that hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims. During the meeting, it was reiterated that every available forum would be used for effective representation of the sentiments of Muslims regarding the blasphemous caricatures. In that regard, the reservations of Pakistani nation as well as Muslim Ummah would be conveyed to the world through the platform of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The Ministry of National Food Security briefed the cabinet in detail about the procurement and availability of wheat. It was told that the availability of 1.5 million metric tons of wheat would be ensured by January 31, 2021. The Ministry of Commerce briefed the cabinet about the schedule of wheat import and told that all consignments would arrive on time. The Ministry of Industries and Production apprised the cabinet about the import and availability of sugar. It was told that 266,939 metric tons of sugar was available in the country at present. The cabinet was further informed that the private sector had already imported 99,639 metric tons sugar while another 52,951 metric tons would be available in the month of November. It was told that the required 300,000 metric tons of sugar would be available by November 30, 2020. The prime minister directed to formulate an organized and coordinated mechanism for timely assessment of the requirements of wheat and sugar in the country, including the needs of all provinces. He said in order to overcome the shortages, hurdlers in the way of imports should be eliminated. He particularly stressed on ensuring the import of quality wheat.