The faults within

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Khusro Bakhtiar and Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar said in a recent press conference that daily production of urea was at a record high of 25,000 bags. Despite such claims, there is an acute shortage of urea across the county, and farmers are failing to meet their requirements.

If the government’s claim that there is no shortage of urea in the country is to be believed, then where is it all going? There can be only two options: one, it is smuggled across our border to Afghanistan. Two, it is being hoarded by black marketers. Smuggling thousands of tonnes of urea across the border can only be done through roads and check-posts, all of which are manned by security personnel and law-enforcement agencies created by the state to prevent exactly such criminal activity. Hoarding too can be done in large storage buildings only. This means that either the state lacks the political will to enforce the writ of law or is patronising criminals involved in smuggling or hoarding. It is essential that not only the state ensures that farmers’ demands are met, but also that corrupt elements in the machinery be identified and removed.

Ali Malik Tariq

Lahore