Senate raises alarm over wheat crisis as govt remains in denial

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday witnessed a contentious discussion about the country’s wheat shortage with opposition figures blaming the federal government for the shortages. However, the federal food minister refuted the claim, blaming the provinces for the sharp increase in flour prices and asserting that the country had ample supplies of wheat.

During the Senate session, treasury members alleged that Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — provinces ruled by PTI — caused the floor crisis, which resulted in long queues at utility stores and designated government stalls selling flour.

Dr. Shahzad Wasim, the leader of the Senate opposition, disagreed with this assertion and claimed that all the government had accomplished except commercials and foreign trips. The leader of PTI accused the government of ruining the economy and said that it sought to rule the nation “in their old style, which was unachievable now.”

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of JI said during the session that KP was particularly suffering from the biggest wheat crisis the nation has ever experienced. Using data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the senator claimed that on January 6, live chicken was being sold for Rs 390/kg and a 20kg bag of flour cost Rs 3,300.

 “I am surprised that enough wheat is available in the silos but who is stealing the flour and chicken [resulting in their shortage]; who is stealing the dollars,” he asked, referring to the increase in the prices of chicken and flour.

He demanded that the federal and provincial governments should inform the nation as to who was responsible for the purported shortage of these commodities.

Senator Ahmad said no action was being taken against hoarders and added that flour was being smuggled to Afghanistan despite fencing and the deployment of the army, paramilitary forces, and police along the border.

“Who is smuggling flour to Afghanistan,” he questioned. According to the senator, “The hoarders and flour smugglers are sitting in parliament” which was the reason flour prices were not being regulated.

Meanwhile, federal minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema on Friday said that a sufficient quantity of wheat stock is available in the country, and if any province needs the wheat then they should come and take the commodity.

Addressing a press conference, Cheema said that baseless propaganda regarding wheat shortage in the country has been launched. “Tell us which province has asked the Centre for wheat and the federal government has not provided it,” he asked.

He said that the main reason behind the rise in the price of wheat flour is the slow lifting of wheat stocks from Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) warehouses by the provincial governments. If provinces do not lift the demanded stock by that time from the PASSCO warehouses, then the imported wheat on the demand of provinces will be of no use, he said.