HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon has said provincial government has accepted IMF`s condition for deregulating crops` prices in agriculture sector `under compulsion`.

The Sindh government would, however, urge the federal government to find out some solution to this problem so that neither farmer had to face losses nor the government had to import expensive wheat at the cost of foreign exchange, he said at a press conference at his residence on Saturday evening.

He said that when Pakistan Peoples Party`s government was formed in 2008 the wheat crop was being imported but soon after PPP introduced farmer-friendly policies the wheat production increased in spite of the crop being exported.

He said that since IMF`s conditions were binding, the prices of sugar cane and wheat were not fixed by provincial governments. It was indeed an issue that if support price was not offered then it might lead to drop in farm production that might force the govern-ment to import grain at Rs9,000 per 40kg, he said.

He said that when the Sindh government had offered Rs4,400 per 40kg support price for wheat it was criticised.

If farmers were not supported they might lose interest in the cultivating the crop, he said, adding the federal government would be approached to find out a solution to this problem so that some incentive was provided to farmers.

About completion of certain portions of Indus Highway, Sharjeel said that it was federal government`s responsibility to finish with the work as the Sindh government had already paid Rs7 billion to federal government but the project had not been completed yet.

He termed it federal government`s mala fide intention that it was not completing the project. All national highways were to be completed and managed by the federal government, he said.

Sharjeel said that these roads belonged to Pakistan because the country`s port was located in Karachi and all goods were to be transported through these highways.

He said that Sindh People`s Housingfor Flood Affectees was one of the government`s flagship projects, which was internationally recognised with awards by international firms, which was indeed an achievement for Sindh as well as for Pakistan.

He said that 750,000 houses had been completed so far out of 2.1m for those whose abodes were destroyed by unprecedented floods in 2022. It was a successful project of Sindh government and PPP leadership fully owned it, he said.

He said the government transferred money directly to the affected household. The houses had been made climate resilient and would withstand any calamity in future, he said.

The minister pointed out that audit of this project had been carried out and even members of a World Bank delegation were surprised to see this achievement.

He said that he had explained to WB delegates how Sindh government had responded to this tragedy in 2022 by providing the victims succour without waiting for federal government`s help.

He said that people did not even have firewood to use as fuel so the government had provided them cooked food in the initial days of the calamity.