Wheat crisis deepens for the third time in four years under Shehbaz Sharif Govt; KP Finance Adviser Muzzammil Aslam

Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Finance Muzzammil Aslam has reacted to the ongoing wheat crisis and soaring wheat prices in the country, stating that this is the third major wheat crisis during the four years of the Shehbaz Sharif government, and that a significant part of the responsibility lies with the Punjab government’s flawed policies. He expressed these views in a statement issued from his office yesterday. Muzzammil Aslam said that public attention is being diverted from the wheat crisis by focusing on the petroleum levy. He noted that Pakistan is currently witnessing the highest wheat and flour prices in its history, despite the fact that only three months have passed since the wheat harvesting season. The KP Finance Adviser said that wheat is currently available from Karachi to Peshawar at around Rs. 11,600 per 100 kilograms, while in the retail market wheat is being sold at Rs. 115 per kilogram and flour at Rs. 130 to Rs. 150 per kilogram. He pointed out that in 2022, flour was available at Rs. 65 to Rs. 70 per kilogram. He added that despite wheat prices nearly doubling, farmers have become financially distressed and are facing bankruptcy. According to him, the increase in wheat prices is mainly due to the high costs of electricity, fertilizers, and diesel. Muzzammil Aslam further said that Pakistan is now being classified among food-insecure countries. He alleged that under the current critical circumstances, Punjab has continued an undeclared restriction on the supply of wheat and flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also claimed that when efforts were made to transport wheat from Sindh through Balochistan, obstacles were created to prevent its movement.
He stated that Chief Minister Suhail Afridi, he himself, and the Chief Secretary have repeatedly raised this issue with both the federal government and the Punjab government.
The KP Finance Adviser said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Department has released Rs. 15.6 billion in cash to the Food department for wheat procurement. He added that the supply of 150,000 metric tons of wheat from PASSCO to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will start shortly, while an additional agreement has also been finalized for the supply of another 50,000 metric tons of wheat from PASSCO.
He explained that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces only one-quarter (25%) of its wheat requirement, making the province heavily dependent on Punjab for wheat procurement. Muzzammil Aslam further said that the provincial government’s wheat stocks are expected to exceed 350,000 metric tons, which will fully utilize the storage capacity of the province’s warehouses. He emphasized that these will be the highest wheat reserves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s history, accumulated through the province’s own resources without borrowing.
He also said that KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and Secretary Food Shah Mahmood are making efforts to stabilize wheat prices by supplying 70,000 metric tons of wheat to the private sector.
Concluding his statement, Muzzammil Aslam said that Pakistan has not witnessed such a severe wheat crisis within the first three months of the wheat season in the country’s 78-year history.