Farmers and an opposition alliance are preparing for statewide protest marches against an excessive delay in grain purchases. Today (Monday), an inquiry commission looking into a wheat import fraud will present its findings to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal is in charge of the four-person probe committee, which was established on May 2.
The committee did not call anyone in for an investigation on Sunday; instead, it worked on confirming various dates and documents. One of the individuals stated, “The report is currently being prepared.”
The PM established the committee after discovering that, despite the nation’s existing stockpile of over 113,000 tons of wheat, over 600,000 tons of wheat were imported in the first two months of the current administration.
Sources claim that the import of wheat was decided upon during the previous caretaker administration’s term, and that importation proceeded even after the PML-N government assumed power.
The committee refuted on Saturday rumors that it had called in Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who filled the role of acting Punjab chief minister during the caretaker arrangement, and former caretaker premier Anwaarul Haq Kakar.
After conducting its investigation, the inquiry committee may decide to refer the case to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for additional action, according to some sources.
On Saturday, the government intervened to resolve farmers’ complaints regarding grain purchases.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif established a committee under the Ministry of National Food Security to resolve farmers’ problems within four days after observing their challenges in selling their wheat and acquiring gunny sacks for their crops.
Farmers’ worries have not been allayed by these actions, though. A protest movement against the Punjab government’s wheat procurement policy and the alleged multi-million dollar wheat import fraud from Multan on May 10 was declared on Sunday by the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI).
Concurrently, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) gave the government till May 6th to respond to farmers’ requests for the purchase of wheat at the official support price. In support of farmers, JI workers have already staged protests in a number of Punjabi and Sindhi districts.
The opposition alliance has stepped up its attempts to establish a national movement against the government with the goal of defending the rule of law and the Constitution. Preparations for the movement’s launch in the next weeks point to rising political anger and dissatisfaction in the nation in May.
PKI Chairman Khalid Khokhar accused the system of working together to facilitate such illegal acts, branding the “mafia” that profits from wheat smuggling during a press conference on Sunday in Lahore.
Khokhar emphasized the negative effects of wheat imports, pointing to significant losses suffered by the government and farmers alike. He highlighted the predicament of farmers, who, in spite of their great efforts, endure financial difficulties made worse by low pricing and purported market manipulation.
Ahmed Khan Bhachar, the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, demanded that former acting prime minister Kakar be arrested in connection with the wheat crisis and that everyone involved in the decision-making process be held accountable.
Punjab contributed significantly to the country’s wheat harvest, but Bhachar criticized the government for failing to enforce wheat support prices in the open market, which caused a sharp decline in prices.
A judicial panel to look into the wheat crisis in detail has also been asked by the PTI in response to fresh revelations concerning Kakar and PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi.
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