Govt backs out of wheat procurement
The Punjab Assembly witnessed a stormy session on Thursday as the provincial government announced it would neither fix the wheat procurement price nor purchase the crop this season — a statement that sparked strong backlash and a walkout by the Opposition.
Tensions escalated when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Salma Butt, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Price Control & Commodities Management, outlined the government's policy on wheat.
Butt clarified that the government would not intervene in setting wheat prices or procuring the grain. However, she claimed that farmer welfare remains a priority, noting an increase in the agriculture development budget from Rs29 billion to Rs64 billion.
In a bid to offer relief, she announced the distribution of 1,000 free tractors to farmers between May 1 and May 30, 2025.
She also said farmers would now be able to store their wheat and secure up to 70% of its value through bank financing.
Opposition Leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar slammed the government's stance, likening it to telling farmers to "eat bread instead of roti."
He accused the government of abandoning Punjab's agricultural community and demanded a Rs250 billion relief package to prevent farmer distress and hardship.
"If the government doesn't cut its own extravagant expenses to support the farmers, they will starve," Bhachar warned, before leading the Opposition in a walkout from the session.
Meanwhile, Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Shafay Hussain admitted during the session that land grabbers had occupied several properties belonging to the Auqaf Department.
He said the government had managed to reclaim five acres and three kanals of land and was working to recover more across the province. He also announced plans to introduce modern donation boxes resembling ATM machines at major shrines to improve transparency and collection efficiency.
The Assembly is expected to continue debates on agriculture policy and land reforms in the coming days.
LHC hearing
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday adjourned until May 2 the hearing of a petition seeking the wheat price to be set at Rs4,000 per 40kg, after the provincial government informed the court that the matter of wheat de-regulation is currently under consideration by the Punjab cabinet.
Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad presided over the hearing, during which a representative from the provincial price control department told the court that a final decision regarding wheat pricing and procurement is expected soon from the cabinet. The federal government's counsel remarked that the petitioner should have approached the court in a timely manner, to which Justice Tanvir responded critically, questioning the state's preparedness.
"Do you not know when the crop is ready? What about the common people if your condition is like this?" he observed. Petitioner Ghulam Abbas filed the case against the provincial government, the Secretary of the Food Department, and the Director General of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASCO).
In his petition, Abbas argued that while the government plans to fix the wheat price at Rs2,200 per 40kg, the average cost of production per acre amounts to Rs3,600.
He maintained that the failure to offer a fair price and to purchase wheat from farmers is both unethical and unlawful, adding that such policies would exacerbate the hardships faced by the agricultural community.
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