The Punjab assembly witnessed a stormy session on Thursday when the provincial government announced that it would neither solve the wheat purchase price nor buy the crop this season – a statement that triggered strong setback and a walkout of the opposition.

Tensions escalated when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Salma Butt, special assistant to Chief Minister on Price Control & Commodities Management, outlined the government’s policy for wheat.

Butt clarified that the government would not intervene in setting wheat prices or acquiring the grain. However, she claimed that the farmer’s welfare remains a priority that noted an increase in the agricultural development budget from RS29 billion to RS64 billion.

In an attempt to offer relief, she announced the distribution of 1,000 free tractors to farmers between May 1 and May 30, 2025.

She also said that farmers would now be able to store their wheat and secure up to 70% of its value through bank financing.

Opposition leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar threw the government’s attitude and compared it to telling farmers to “eat bread instead of Roti.”

He accused the government of giving up Punjab’s agricultural society and demanded an RS250 billion relief package to prevent farmer’s distress and difficulties.

“If the government does not reduce its own extravagant expenses for supporting farmers, they will starve,” Bhachar warned before leading the opposition in a walkout from the session.

Meanwhile, Minister of Auqaf and religious affairs Shafay Hussain admitted during the session that Land Grabbers had occupied several properties belonging to the AUQAF department.

He said the government had managed to regain five hectares and three channel land and worked to recover more over the province. He also announced plans to introduce modern donation boxes that look like ATM machines by larger shrines to improve transparency and collection efficiency.

The assembly is expected to continue debates on agricultural policy and land reforms in the coming days.

LHC hearing

Lahore High Court (LHC) exposed Tuesday until May 2nd the hearing of a petition seeking the wheat price to be determined at RS4,000 per year. 40 kg, after the provincial government informed the court that the question of wheat area is currently undergoing consideration of the Punjab cabinet.

Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad preserved the consultation, where a representative of the provincial price control department told the court that a final decision on wheat prices and purchases from the cabinet is soon expected. The federal government’s lawyer noted that the petitioner should have approached the court in a timely way that Justice Tanvir responded critically and questioned the state’s emergency preparedness.

“Don’t you know when the crop is ready? What about the ordinary people if your condition is like that?” he observed. Senter Ghulam Abbas filed the case against the provincial government, the secretary of the Food Department and the Director General of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASCO).

In his petition, Abbas claimed that although the government plans to solve the wheat price at RS2.200 per year. 40 kg, constitute the average production costs per year. Acre for RS3.600.

He maintained that the lack of offering a reasonable price and buying wheat from farmers is both unethical and illegal, adding that such policies would aggravate the difficulties facing the agricultural community.