The ongoing “wheat scandal” exposes, once again, the misgovernance that has plagued Pakistan through much of its history. The roots of the crisis stem from the tenure of the caretaker government, which permitted the import of 1 million tons of wheat to shore up strategic reserves. Overall, though, 2.8 million tons of wheat was imported through the private sector, boosting stocks even as authorities touted an upcoming “bumper crop” from the agricultural sector, which contributes about 24 percent of the Gross Domestic Product employs half the country’s labor force. The excess supply, reportedly costing Rs. 330 billion, in turn left the state unable to complete the routine purchase of wheat from farmers, hampering much-needed support agriculture. Simply put, the imports through the private sector destroyed the government’s ability to purchase the domestic bumper crop.
While the development has had an unintended benefit for the general public, who are seeing low consumer prices, it has angered farmers who have little choice but to sell their crops at significantly lower rates than those promised by the government. Former caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, under whose watch the imports occurred, has attempted to distance himself from the crisis by claiming “it was not the prime minister’s job to oversee wheat production.” His government’s lack of foresight, meanwhile, has raised questions over potential misconduct, with people wondering whether the move was aimed at facilitating some “blue-eyed boys.”
Taking note of the complaints of farmers, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to protect their interests “at all costs,” but the damage has been done and it would prove difficult to assuage the agriculture sector’s valid concerns. The key question now is whether the incumbent government would take action against those responsible for this crisis. Reportedly, PMLN leader Nawaz Sharif has urged his brother’s government to take “indiscriminate” action against the culprits through the NAB or the FIA. However, with conflicting statements emerging from the center, it is likelier that this scandal, like so many before it, would be swept under the rug and its victims left with no choice but to accept what has been done to them.