Big Relief for Farmers as Sharjeel Memon Unveils New Wheat Purchase Plan

KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the provincial government cannot afford to ignore agriculture despite economic challenges, stressing that farmers remain among those most affected by rising inflation.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi after a Sindh Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Memon said the province has an estimated 4.84 million metric tonnes of wheat available for 2026, while existing wheat stocks have fallen below 1.18 million tonnes.

Memon said 313,000 poor farmers are registered in Sindh, with the provincial government providing subsidies worth Rs20 billion to support them.

He announced that farmers owning up to 25 acres of land will be eligible for seed subsidies, saying support for the agriculture sector remains essential despite the country’s economic difficulties.

“The farmer is suffering the most under the burden of inflation,” Memon said, emphasising the need to protect the agricultural sector.

The Sindh Cabinet has also approved the purchase of wheat from PASSCO to help strengthen the province’s wheat reserves.

Addressing the debate over the creation of new provinces, Memon said the Constitution clearly defines the legal procedure for establishing new provinces.

“No individual is above the Constitution,” he said, adding that no decision could be taken outside the framework of the law.

Memon maintained that any decision regarding new provinces must ultimately involve Parliament and the people, while stressing that the Pakistan Peoples Party’s position on the issue remains clear and unchanged.

The Sindh minister also criticised MQM leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Mustafa Kamal, claiming that their political influence had declined.

He said both leaders were now federal ministers in the PML-N government and accused them of using deliberately provocative language on the issue of new provinces.

Memon urged people not to be influenced by such statements and reiterated that the PPP and Sindh government had a clear position regarding the province.

Commenting on former prime minister Imran Khan’s health, Memon said he was praying for his recovery.

He said that regardless of the court’s decision, if Khan was unwell, receiving medical treatment was his basic right.

“Access to medical facilities is everyone’s right,” Memon said, emphasising that healthcare should remain available to every individual.