Civil society says government’s flawed policies have left wheat stocks rotting in warehouses, warning of looming losses and shortages.
Bashir Hussain Azad | Chitral Today
Chitral, Oct 18, 2025: Civil society representatives from Upper and Lower Chitral have urged the government to immediately sell about 200,000 bags of wheat stored in government warehouses for the past two years at subsidized rates.
They warned that if the government fails to act, it will cause irrecoverable losses of billions of rupees to the public exchequer.
At a press conference held at Chitral Press Club on Saturday, prominent social activist Farooq Ahmed from Ayun, along with former Union Nazim Abdul Majeed Qureshi, former Tehsil Naib Nazim Mastuj Fakhruddin, and retired SDPO Muhammad Sabir, criticized the government for allowing a large quantity of wheat to remain unused in more than 18 warehouses across Upper and Lower Chitral. They explained that cheaper flour in local markets and the government’s higher wheat prices had left the stock unsold for two years.
They warned that insects had already infested wheat stored in Drosh and other locations, raising alarm about the quality and safety of the commodity.
Farooq Ahmed accused the government of adopting flawed and poorly planned policies that have damaged not only the wheat stock but also millions of rupees worth of empty gunny bags, which have deteriorated due to prolonged storage.
He said the government could have earned substantial revenue by auctioning the bags, but negligence has caused further losses. He reminded authorities that a few years ago, the government dumped a large quantity of spoiled wheat into the river, yet it failed to learn from that incident.
He emphasized that with winter approaching fast and flour prices already beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, the government must act urgently to sell the wheat at affordable prices. Otherwise, snowfall will block roads, and the valley will face serious food shortages.
The civil society representatives appealed to the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court to take suo motu notice of the issue to protect public interest and prevent massive financial losses to the government.
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