PTI accuses govt of deceiving masses on relief in oil prices

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has accused the government of deceiving the masses by using a false pretext to divert funds to Balochistan’s development, thereby denying them relief in oil prices.

“The illegitimate regime has failed to pass on fuel price reductions to inflation-battered citizens living in poverty, using the false pretext of diverting the saved funds to develop Balochistan, merely to deceive the masses,” he charged in a statement issued here. Waqas also slammed the federal and Punjab governments for their ‘anti-farmer and anti-poor’ policies, as well as their violent crackdown on peaceful protesting growers in the province. He categorically stated that the PTI stands firmly with the farmers and fully supports their nationwide protest, demanding a fixed support price of wheat at Rs4,500 per 40kg to stabilise the situation.

He blasted both the governments for exploiting farmers and systematically ruining the agricultural economy through oppressive policies, vowing that such actions would neither be allowed nor tolerated under any circumstances.

The PTI leader recalled that under former prime minister Imran Khan’s government, farmers were not protesting on the streets but were instead invited to the PM’s House as valued stakeholders. He emphasised that they were provided with various facilities, including fair prices for their produce, Kissan Cards, and other incentives to boost the agriculture sector.

Waqas stressed that agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, with around 70 percent of the population depending on it for their livelihood and about 42.3 percent of the labor force employed in the sector.

He criticised the Punjab government for failing to honor its promise of a wheat support price of Rs3,900 per 40kg, leaving farmers in severe distress. Waqas warned that Pakistan risks a major agricultural crisis if the federal government does not promptly set a wheat support price, given the economy’s heavy reliance on the sector.

He further noted that farmers in Punjab and across the country are increasingly worried about the losses they are facing due to the federal government’s decision to abolish the wheat support price—a policy that had been in place for over five decades.

Waqas revealed that wheat is now being sold in the open market at Rs1,700 to Rs2,100 per 40kg, far below the actual production cost of Rs3,400. He questioned how farmers could be expected to sell at such a loss, accusing the government of benefiting middlemen instead. Additionally, he criticised the ‘installed’ regime for promoting corporate farming, which undermines small farmers by depriving them of their land, water and labour. He warned that such policies aim to concentrate agricultural power in the hands of a few large players engaged in predatory practices, prioritizing profits over food security.

Waqas asserted that Pakistan has the potential to double its agricultural production but requires sincere and visionary leadership—not self-serving and short-sighted rulers. He accused the regime of deliberately creating a wheat crisis to justify imports and fill their own coffers.

The PTI information secretary pointed out that agricultural production suffered a major setback after the 2022 floods, resulting in a shortfall of 2.4 million tonnes of wheat. Instead of supporting local farmers, he said, the government allowed private firms to import 3.6 million tonnes of substandard wheat from countries like Ukraine, leading to an unresolved scandal. He demanded that the Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Junaid Akbar, investigate the mega scandal and hold the culprits accountable.

Waqas also condemned the Punjab government for imposing an income tax ranging from 15 to 45 percent on farmers earning between Rs600,000 and Rs6 million, along with proposed taxes on livestock—without offering any benefits in return.

He called on the rulers to reconsider their policies affecting farmers and common citizens, urging them to instead cut extravagant expenditures—including unnecessary foreign trips—and reduce lavish spending at the prime minister and chief minister’s offices.

Recalling the PTI-led Punjab government’s initiatives for farmers’ prosperity, Waqas contrasted it with the current regime, which he accused of deliberately destroying the agriculture sector.

He lambasted the government for denying fuel price relief to the masses by massively increasing the levy while falsely claiming to divert the saved funds for Balochistan’s development. He dismissed this as a ploy to deceive the public, asserting that the regime’s true intention is to enrich itself. Waqas urged the Shehbaz-led government to end the theatrics and immediately pass on the fuel price benefits to the masses struggling with skyrocketing prices.

The PTI information secretary stressed that if the government is genuinely sincere about resolving the Balochistan crisis, it must immediately release missing persons and political prisoners, recognise the local people’s rights over their resources, and expel all exploitative forces from the province.