This week saw large scale unrest take place in several cities of Azad Kasmir (Half of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), rioters took to the streets to protest against increasing wheat and electricity prices, three days of widespread rioting resulted in mobilization of the Rangers (Pakistan’s equivalent of the US Marshalls) leaving at least 10 civilians and one local policeman dead, as well as causing extensive damage to local infrastructure.
The protests came to a halt when the PM of AJK announced immediate measures to satisfy protestors demands, made possible by the PM of Pakistan who approved a grant of 24Bn Pkr ($83Mn). The grant will be used to subsidize food and electrical provisions, wheat prices have fallen 35.5% as the government ensures price per bag remains at 2000 Rs, electricity has also been subsidized but no clear plan has been outlined to ensure fair rates and tackle “unofficial” fixed rate agreements.
On Wheat
Note: A Maund =37kg
In other parts of Pakistan, low wheat prices seem to be the problem for farmers and those working in agricultural-related fields (almost 40% of the population). Roughly 35 Million Metric tons of wheat was unnecessarily imported from Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria causing the price to crash and simultaneously lowering demand as the governments in Sindh and Punjab no longer need to purchase from farmers, wheat prices have fallen from 3900 Rs/Maund to 2800 Rs/Maund ( A 28% decrease), yet in the province Of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wheat is still being procured by the government at the 3900 Rs/Maund rate demonstrating the discrepancies in economic policy and oversight between each provincial government, additionally KP’s Chief minister announced that they would buy wheat from farmers from different provinces to ensure farmers can sell their crops at a fair, livable price. Coincidentally approximately 70% of Pakistan exports are derived from agriculture, go figure. It’s also very difficult to measure inflation in Pakistan due to the skewed data and price variability in differing districts and provinces, but inflation is approximated to be at around 19-26%.
On Politics
Mutinous sentiment is rising throughout Pakistan’s provinces, mainly in Baluchistan (see edition 9), Punjab and now Kashmir with renewed calls for independence in certain provinces, it seems that Pakistan’s fracturing is only just beginning. Political elements are largely to blame, as people are quite simply becoming tired of the military’s influence in the courts and suppression of the PTI. Last week, the DG-ISPR (essentially the Military’s main spokesperson) stated that the only way for the PTI to continue was if its leaders were to publicly apologize and leave behind their politics of “anarchy”, he then went onto talk about atrocities being committed in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, rather ironic considering the events that followed in POK as well as legitimizing Indian claims over POK. The Military is currently having a pretty terrible PR crisis, and as long as PTI figurehead Khan remains in jail, it seems that this crisis might not see an end.