ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has strongly criticized the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, for what he described as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the interests of farmers and trigger an agricultural and economic crisis in the province.
In a strongly worded statement, Akram accused the provincial government of betraying the farming community by failing to honor its commitment to ensure a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,900 per 40 kg of wheat. Instead, he said, farmers are being forced to sell their crops at exploitative market rates as low as Rs 1,700–2,100 per 40 kg.
“This is not merely policy negligence—it is economic murder,” he said. “Our farmers are already suffering under rising input costs, and now they face complete ruin due to the government’s callous indifference.”
Akram alleged that the Punjab government is more focused on optics than actual governance, spending public funds on promotional campaigns and advertisements to falsely claim progress while turning a blind eye to the deepening agricultural crisis.
He warned that failing to provide fair compensation to wheat growers could have catastrophic consequences, not only for the rural economy but also for national food security. “A decline in wheat production may spark a food shortage, push up prices for consumers, and drive already struggling farmers further into poverty,” he cautioned.
The PTI leader pledged that the party would vocally oppose all anti-farmer policies and stand firmly with the agricultural community.
Turning his attention to the broader political landscape, Akram lashed out at both the PPP and PMLN, branding them as “family-run corporations” whose only agenda is to capture power and exploit public resources.
He dismissed PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s recent outrage over Sindh’s canal water dispute as “scripted theatrics” designed to pressure the federal government for a larger share in power and funding. Akram challenged Bilawal to resign from all government positions if he truly believed in defending Sindh’s rights.
“The truth is, Bilawal’s father, Asif Zardari, bartered away Sindh’s water rights for political gains. Now they’re playing the victim card,” he said, predicting that both parties would soon strike a deal over the controversial canal project, as neither has the public mandate to act independently.
Akram also criticized the PPP-led Balochistan government for pushing through a contentious mineral bill without proper consultation, claiming it would hand over the province’s mineral wealth to a select few. “From water to wheat to minerals, the people of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan are being robbed by these two dynasties,” he said.
He concluded by reaffirming PTI’s commitment to exposing what he called “corrupt bargains and anti-people policies,” promising that the party would not allow the continued exploitation of the country’s resources or its farmers.
