The Punjab government’s decision to ban the inter-provincial transport of wheat has ignited a new political and humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, drawing severe criticism from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.
The KP government, which relies heavily on Punjab for its wheat supply, has labeled the ban a “grave threat” to its food security. In a formal letter, the KP Food Secretary warned that these restrictions are disrupting the supply chain and destabilizing prices.
The letter highlighted the stark reality that KP depends on a daily supply of approximately 14,500 tons from Punjab to meet its needs. Officials deemed a recent permit for 2,000 tons from Punjab as “insufficient.” The KP government has condemned the move as a clear violation of Article 151(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees free trade between provinces.
KP Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi also denounced the ban as an “attack on the rights of the province’s people.”
Meanwhile, in Sindh, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership accused the Punjab government of “anti-Sindh” actions. The PPP alleges that Punjab has also blocked the supply of vital wheat seed to Sindh just as the critical sowing season begins.
Nisar Khuhro, President of PPP Sindh, has appealed for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s immediate intervention, warning that cultivation in vast areas of Sindh could be devastated. He revealed that farmers in Sindh had already paid Punjab-based suppliers for the seed, but the supply has now been blocked, calling it an “economic exploitation of growers.”
