'People lose importance once their leader withdraws support': Zulfi Bukhari

"Anyone who goes against the vision of the premier will lose his importance," Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari said on Wednesday.

Bukhari's remarks come in the backdrop of a report made public by a commission that was tasked by Prime Minister Imran Khan with probing the recent sugar crisis in the country.

According to the report, senior PTI member Jahangir Tareen and the brother of former minister for food security Khusro Bakhtiar had benefitted the most from the crisis that took place in January this year.

"People lose their importance once their leader withdraws his support," said Bukhari, adding, "Only those who are backed by the leader hold importance."

Earlier in the week, following the report's findings, the prime minister made important changes to the federal cabinet.

Commenting on the move a few hours later, the government's spokesperson Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the prime minister wants to strengthen institutions, not individuals.

Referring to the cabinet reshuffle, Dr Firdous said that the aim behind the decision was to 'introduce self-accountability' in the country.

"It can't be tolerated that the public's rights are usurped and that a particular group takes advantage," she said.

The prime minister, himself, has said that he will take action against those responsible for the hike in prices of sugar and wheat after he sees the detailed forensic report of the preliminary findings.

"I await the detailed forensic reports now by the high-powered commission, which will come out on 25 April, before taking action," the prime minister said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Tareen, while reacting to the report, had said he still stood by the prime minister and would challenge the investigation committee if it found him responsible for the sugar crisis.

"I'm in constant contact with the prime minister and I stand by him," Tareen had said, adding that he had provided 20,000 tonnes of sugar to utilities stores at Rs67 a kilo, saving the people Rs250 million.

"If I had not sold sugar at Rs67 a kilo, I'd have donated Rs250 million to the Prime Minister's Corona Relief Fund," he had said.