As Pakistan tackles an escalating wheat supply crisis amid a threatened nationwide protest by farmers from Friday (May 10), a chronic pattern is set to repeat itself.
Events leading up to the upcoming protests and beyond are a powerful reminder of Pakistan’s once relatively functional ruling environment, over time having simply fallen in tatters. Irrespective of the severity of the wheat crisis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has so far largely paid lip service to the cause of farmers, instead choosing to focus on consolidating its rule.
While finding those culpable for the wheat crisis during Sharif’s rule since February or earlier is vital, it nevertheless pales by comparison to solving a long-term riddle. A square focus by Pakistan’s rulers to arm their chosen few with more authority, notably witnessed with the elevation of Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to deputy prime minister, bears no effect on tackling the multiple challenges surrounding Pakistan.
For farmers, an overwhelming majority of whom are wheat cultivators, the immediate challenge remains that of selling their produce at rates promised earlier by the government. A failure to sell their produce at the promised price leads to financial losses for Pakistan’s farming community, with future consequences.
The immediate and large-scale........