By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's former Prime Minister and key leader of the ruling party Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has claimed that Rs 20 billion was looted last month in the government's free flour distribution scheme.

His claim came while the ruling 13 parties alliance is already under intense pressure from the main opposition who are demanding for immediate election while the country’s top court also ordered for elections in two key provinces.

“Recently, Rs84bn worth of [free] flour was distributed. I am sorry to say that approximately more than Rs 20 billion was looted in this scheme,” Abbasi told a gathering in Lahore.

He criticized the current system and said no one could give relief or serve the nation in this system which needs to be refined.

Abbasi claimed has put the ruling alliance in further trouble as their senior leader accused them of major corruption.

Dozens of people lost their lives during the distribution of free flour during the month of Ramadan because of the poor system as thousands of people were lining up to receive 10kg flour bags despite Ramadan. 

Many people also complain that they didn’t receive flour but the system shows that flour bags have already been delivered to them.

Now Abbasi's claim has further raised questions over the fairness of flour distribution and people demanding for an immediate investigation that who looted the Rs 20 billion of poor people. 

However, the ruling alliance information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb  denied the claim and said there was no dishonesty the flour scheme. 

“In Ramadan, free flour was provided to millions of poor people in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Islamabad with full transparency and honesty in this inflation. The administrative officers and staff worked day and night to make the landmark scheme a success, which is commendable,” she tweeted.

However, Abbasi's claim have took very seriously by public as a former prime minister and key leader of the ruling party, how he could make such a claim without authentic information?