ISLAMABAD, October 20. /TASS/. Authorities of Pakistan are interested in buying at least four million metric tons of grain and continue looking for alternative wheat suppliers, Research Associate at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) Muhammad Taimur Fahad Khan told TASS in an interview on Thursday.

"Nowadays, Pakistan needs 4 mln [metric] tons of wheat to fulfill its current food security needs, and only 2 mln [metric] tons of wheat were allowed to be procured through government-to-government contracts, as well as 1-1.5 mln tons of wheat can be procured through private companies’ contracts. So Pakistan was negotiating with Russian authorities on the government-to-government contracts," the expert said.

No specific agreements with Russia have been reached so far and Pakistan continues "exploring different avenues to procure cheap wheat," he added.