News DeskISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A scandal over the import of overpriced, low-quality wheat has enveloped Pakistan’s government, with allegations of widespread corruption benefiting a few individuals at the expense of the country’s poorest citizens.
At the center of the scandal are claims that the previous caretaker government, led by Anwaarul Haq Kakar, imported wheat worth over $360 million after February’s elections. Much of this wheat is suspected to be of inferior quality that was overpaid for through graft and kickbacks.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has urged the current coalition government to thoroughly investigate and punish those responsible, regardless of political connections. However, critics accuse the new administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of dragging its feet by not engaging top anti-corruption bodies like the National Accountability Bureau.
The import of substandard wheat has raised costs for the public food distribution system that millions of impoverished Pakistanis depend on to survive. Scarce resources that could have gone toward development, education and anti-poverty programs were instead likely siphoned off through this scheme.
“When government officials abuse their power for personal gain, it is the poorest members of society who suffer most,” said Nasir Iqbal, executive director of the Pakistan Institute for Legislative Development and Transparency. “Inflated wheat prices make basic sustenance unaffordable for those already struggling day-to-day.”
A fact-finding committee’s report, expected on Monday, must be comprehensive and apolitical to hold corrupt actors accountable and prevent such egregious theft from Pakistan’s impoverished masses in the future, analysts said. As ordinary citizens continue paying the price for this scandal through higher food costs, the demand for justice will only grow louder.
