THERE is much hue and cry over the recent wheat shortage across the country. The common man is facing an uphill task to fulfill his needs for rudimentary.

I was flabbergasted to learn that President Arif Alvi said he was unaware that exorbitant rates were being charged for wheat.

The worst part is that neither the government nor the concerned authorities are paying attention to this crisis. Similarly, the government’s reluctance not to conduct raids on the warehouses of wheat hoarders is also beyond comprehension. The citizens particularly the poor are in a quandary as to how to make ends meet as Pakistanis’ staple food is going beyond their reach.

Usman Ghani
Quetta

(2)

IT’S been almost two weeks since the wheat crisis first erupted. The shortage has severely affected the lives of people. To resolve the wheat scarcity issue, the government has decided to import 300,000 tons of wheat in the next few months.

One is perplexed to understand why wheat export was allowed in the first place when Pakistan, which is eighth largest wheat producer in the world, had a smaller crop compared to last year.

The government should seriously probe the matter and determine who is to blame for this snafu. Those responsible should be taken to task and instances of bad governance like this should be severely punished.

Ali Hassan
Mandi Bahauddin

(3)

THE recent wheat crisis has come as a shock to the Pakistani people, an overwhelming majority of whom depend on roti as the staple item in their meals. This is yet another major burden for the people who were already putting up with unbridled inflation and increasing unemployment.

The flour millers and mill owners are complaining about the short supply of wheat from the food department. The issue has sparked a hue and cry and the price of roti has gone up.

The government needs to explain the reason for the sudden flour shortage instead of saying this is a conspiracy of the opposition political parties or blaming hoarders and profiteers for the problem. If this is so why aren’t those responsible being hauled up and prosecuted?

Mannan Samad
Quetta

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2020