Govt, opposition on same page over wheat policy

LAHORE: A rare show of unity was witnessed between the government and the opposition benches in the Punjab Assembly during a general debate on the wheat procurement policy on Thursday, as both sides criticised the government's lack of seriousness on the issue.

The session, however, ended in chaos due to protests over arrests and lack of quorum. Despite a scheduled discussion on the critical wheat procurement issue, no minister was present in the House to respond, with only a parliamentary secretary in attendance. This led to strong reactions from lawmakers.

PMLN’s former Mines Minister Sher Ali Khan remarked, “Sending a parliamentary secretary instead of a minister shows how little the government cares,” adding that farmers were misled into sowing wheat and are now being abandoned.

Government ally Ali Haider Gilani questioned the fate of the wheat crop spread over 15 million acres, saying, “If the government does not intend to announce a support price, it should at least tell us what its future plan is.”

Opposition Chief Whip Rana Shahbaz sarcastically said discussing wheat policy in the Assembly is like “playing a flute in front of a buffalo,” suggesting government indifference. Former Speaker Rana Iqbal demanded the term "buffalo" be struck from the record, calling it unparliamentary. The debate occurred during the 24th session of the Punjab Assembly, chaired by Chairperson Samiullah Khan, which began with a 47-minute delay.