Quetta: The Balochistan government has sent a SOS but no wheat consignment has reached the Pakistani province so far to solve the shortage of grain in the region, media reports said on Monday.

At a press conference on Saturday night, Food Minister Zamarak Khan Piralizai was quoted as saying by Dawn News that the food department had run out of its wheat stock and called for help from other provinces and the Centre.

“We are facing a very serious crisis and need 600,000 bags of wheat on an emergency basis,” he said as he sent an SOS to the federal and provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh.

The minister, who was addressing the media after his return from Islamabad, was accompanied by Flour Mills Association president Badaruddin Kakar.

He said Balochistan needed immediate wheat supply to deal with the worsening situation.

The federal, Sindh and Punjab governments are responsible for this crisis, the minister said, adding that despite the promise to provide 600,000 bags of wheat by Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi, not a single bag was sent to the province.

“Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh have refused to provide wheat to Balochistan,” he claimed.