Is Pakistan First

LOOKING back now and thinking about the some of the big claims by our self proclaimed rulers for the last 8 years who have promised to bring prosperity to the country. The slogan which has gained worldwide recognition was PAKISTAN FIRST.

While seeing the current wheat and other edible crisis in our current has shown us the true face of the previous government policies. All of the policies were made to benefit the rich elites of the country or international investor. The excellent example of that is the sky rocketing prices of wheat in Pakistan.

While remembering some of the interviews of Pakistani president, Prime minister and other important government officials they always emphasize and try to measure the prosperity of the people of Pakistan by number of mobile connections in the country, Number of motor cycles, cars or by the stock market, amount of foreign exchange reserves Pakistani government has. Now looking at the reality does a common man is concerned that how many foreign exchange reserves Pakistani government has or how well the Pakistani stock exchange is performing definitely not.

But he is concerned when the wheat prices increases considerably, when essential vegetables and cooking oil prices increases considerably without any major natural disaster and calamity in the last few years.

As per Food and Agricultural organization Pakistan is the a 9^th largest producer of wheat in the whole world. In 2005, Pakistan produced 21,591,400 metric tons of wheat, more than all of Africa (20,304,585 metric tons) and nearly as much as all of South America (24,557,784 metric tons)

As per Pakistani Government Production of wheat in 2007 was 23.5 million ton.  that's the bumper wheat crop where Pakistan has produced but we see severe shortage of wheat in Pakistan previously wheat was selling at Rs 200 per 20kg but  the wheat sack prices has even touched Rs 500-550 per 20 kg.

So why Pakistan is still facing the shortage of wheat even though it is one of the largest producer of wheat in the world. The problem lies with the government policies and management of resources even when Pakistan has vast area of fertile land and abundance of water for irrigation. I remember the press conference when our imported prime minister boosted that this year we will be exporting the wheat instead of importing it.

Where Pakistani Government was following a blind policy of exporting every commodity instead of only exporting those items which were in excess of local consumption. Government was paying to much attention to the bringing of export proceeds, even when it is at the expense of poor people.

So the only people who have benefited from the situation were big hoarders and traders who have the money to buy wheat in big quantities and export that wheat to international markets and neighboring countries. So on one side these traders are earning big profits but a poor employee who is on fixed salaries or daily wage earner is facing the shortage of wheat on the other side. This is badly affecting the monthly budget of his household.

Currently looking at the international situation as well India, China and Egypt has banned the export of some of edible items to curb the prices in the local market.

So our government has to not only keep ban on the export of wheat till the prices drop to the old level and on the other side have to increase the production of wheat and other edibles commodities.

 

Zubair Arshad is a Chartered Accountant worked for one of the biggest audit firm in London.