Daily Times

The wheat crisis in Pakistan is fast spiralling out of control, with accusations abounding against top government officials against a pitiful lack of relief for the actual victims. While the news cycles remain overwhelmed by the potential implication of the caretaker prime minister, his cabinet members, and whether or not to raise fingers at the interim chief minister of Punjab, there seems to be no end in sight for the suffering of the people affected by this crisis: the ordinary Kissans, who would have to pay the price of a whopping 98 billion rupees wasted by this government to import wheat, that too, in a bumper crop year. The horrors unleashed last year as millions of tonnes of wheat were imported under the guise of food security are an entirely different tale altogether.

As expected, the accused did not waste any time in unleashing a vicious round of blame game all the while remaining criminally silent when asked about a potential solution to the wheat crisis. Last week’s raging war of words between ex-prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and PML(N) stalwart Hanif Abbasi speaks volumes about how even today, the ruling elite stands least bothered by the fact that millions of farmers–who form the backbone of this agrarian economy–are struggling to make ends meet.

Tragically, those who profited billions from this crisis are nowhere to be found. It is high time that those responsible for this mess are held accountable and made to pay restitution to the hardworking farmers who have suffered the most in this ordeal. Of course, Maryam Nawaz, in her capacity as chief minister of the affected province, cannot escape scathing scrutiny herself because of her inability to pull the proverbial bull by the horns and address the pressing issue on an immediate basis.

There are many who are pointing fingers at the discomforting silence. A leader with this large of political capital, particularly when she makes a big show of her emphasis on governance, could not sit back and let superfluous characters control the narrative. Nevertheless, Islamabad could not be more wrong if it chooses to let NAB take the lead on investigations despite the ruling party’s repeated brushes with its tainted investigations and shoddy groundwork.

The accountability watchdog’s history of botched investigations, particularly, when it comes to cases of corruption involving high-profile political figures should serve as a lesson to proceed towards towards an impartial investigation, which is conducted by a reputable body. At this point, addressing the crucial matter of sustenance of wheat farmers is just as important as giving them something to win back their confidence in the system. *