ISLAMABAD, October, 23,2025: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has urged the federal government to clarify the wheat procurement mechanism following reports of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) being phased out, raising concerns among farmers about who will now purchase their produce.
The issue emerged after the government fixed the minimum support price for wheat at Rs3,500 per 40kg. Earlier this year, the federal food minister told the National Assembly that Passco was being abolished in line with market deregulation and IMF recommendations — a policy later reversed under the new national wheat framework.
Sindh Senior Minister @sharjeelinam asked the federal government to raise the wheat support price. He demanded that the rate be fixed at Rs. 4,200 per 40 kg. He said Pakistan spends billions to import wheat. Supporting local farmers makes more sensehttps://t.co/TKAodIQ4AJ
— 🔴A_Razzaque (PPP_C.W.Sindh) (@RazzaqueShkh) October 20, 2025
At a press conference, PPP Punjab Secretary General Hassan Murtaza questioned the Punjab government’s plan for wheat procurement, warning that the absence of Passco leaves farmers vulnerable to middlemen offering below-market prices. He also stressed the need for improved coordination between the coalition partners, the PPP and the PML-N, to prevent misunderstandings.
Referring to recent tensions over flood relief measures, Mr Murtaza said the PPP had recommended using Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) data to ensure timely aid distribution, but the suggestion was met with resistance. He also criticized the new local government law, calling non-party-based elections “a form of pre-poll rigging,” while confirming PPP’s participation in the upcoming polls.
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Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Information Azma Bokhari reacted sharply to Mr Murtaza’s comments, urging the PPP leadership to rein in its Punjab representative. She said such statements undermined coalition harmony and accused the PPP of unnecessarily targeting PML-N leaders.
Despite recurring friction, both parties recently reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation after meetings between Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signaling efforts to stabilize the coalition government.
