ISLAMABAD: The federal government will take a decision on food imports from India in consultation with coalition partners and key stakeholders, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on Wednesday.
The country is facing a shortage of vegetables and other foodstuffs after devastating floods destroyed the crops and raised their prices to unimaginable levels.
The traders also demanded that the government should allow imports from the Wagah Border to solve the problem of shortage.
Meanwhile, however, the commerce ministry on Tuesday decided to import onions and tomatoes from Afghanistan and Iran to control soaring prices in the country.
Taking to Twitter a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said Pakistan would not allow imports, the finance minister said both sides needed to talk about the human rights situation in Indian Kashmir.
MIftah Ismail said more than one international agency had approached the government to allow them to import food from India through the land border.
"The government will make a decision on whether or not to allow imports based on the state of supply shortages, in consultation with coalition partners and key stakeholders."
On Tuesday, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) urged the government to allow the import of vegetables from India through the Wagah border.
Speaking to Geo News, LCCI president Nauman Kabir asked the government to grant permission to import vegetables from India to control their prices.
"Recent floods have destroyed crops of tomatoes, onions, potatoes and other vegetables across the country," he said, adding that the crisis is expected to continue for the next three months.
The vegetable crisis could worsen further in September, October and November, he added.
It will take several days to transport the vegetables from India to Pakistan through the Wagah border.
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