LG law, wheat support rate: PPP leader seeks explanation from Punjab govt

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has sought an explanation from the government of Punjab regarding the recently passed Local Government (LG) law and mechanism for wheat procurement following the dissolution of the Punjab Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).

Speaking at a media briefing at the PPP Central Secretariat, Syed Hassan Murtaza, the party’s secretary general, Central Punjab, stated that while the government has set a wheat support price of Rs3,500 per 40 kg, but actual benefit may not reach the farmers. The middleman is getting all the benefits.

Hassan Murtaza further stated that the advantage of government procurement will also go to him. He; however, challenged the logic behind abolishing PASSCO, stating it “was not a burden on the government.”

Murtaza; however, congratulated the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab for acknowledging the PPP’s partial stance on the wheat support price, recognising farmers as the main “pillar” of the economy. Furthermore, he noted with concern that their demand for Rs4,000 per 40 kg was not fully met.

The PPP leader called on the government to engage in dialogue to prevent disagreements from surfacing publicly. He also expressed annoyance that PPP had provided a comprehensive relief plan to the government for food security in the post-flood scenario, but it was not entertained.

Murtaza reiterated the party’s proposal to utilize the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) data for direct cash transfers to affected families, but suffered heavy backlash from within the coalition partners, particularly the PML-N. He alleged that the Punjab Chief Minister was given incorrect flood data and damage.

Murtaza questioned the effectiveness of the insignificant aid of Rs5,000 per acre when a single bag of DAP fertilizer costs Rs15,000. He stressed that farmers are overwhelmed by rising input costs.

Responding to questions, he clarified that the PPP does not wish to “derail the system” and respects the consensus decisions of its executive committee. He, however, advised spokespersons of the Punjab government to be more careful with their language and word choice.

Murtaza has also expressed serious reservations regarding the recently passed local government law in Punjab, saying that it left a “question mark. He termed non-party-based local bodies elections as the “beginning of rigging”. The governor signed the bill despite having serious doubts to avoid being labelled as “opposed to the democratic process.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025