PTI farmers’ wing terms federal budget 'anti-agriculture'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s farmers’ wing on Saturday criticised the 2026-27 federal budget, calling it anti-farmer, anti-agriculture and damaging for the rural economy, and argued that the measures announced by the government did not amount to a broad agricultural policy.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, PTI farmers’ wing Central Secretary Information Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich said the agricultural loans, targeted subsidies and what he described as hollow incentives in the budget were not sufficient to address farmers’ requirements. He was accompanied by several party lawmakers and office-bearers, including Senior Vice President Mian Ghous, Khurram Shehzad Virk, Punjab farmers’ wing Central President Awais Jhakkar, retired brigadier Aslam Ghuman and Dr Azeemuddin Lakhvi.

Questions over survey figures

The party’s farm leaders also pointed to what they described as inconsistencies in the pre-budget Economic Survey data. They said agricultural growth for 2024-25 had first been reported at 0.56 per cent and was later revised to 1.53 per cent, and asked the government to explain the change. They noted that only two years earlier, the sector had recorded growth of more than 6 per cent, while major crops had expanded by around 17 per cent.

The PTI representatives dismissed the facilities proposed in the budget as mere lollipops, saying farmers had not been given clear, direct and large-scale relief in key areas including fertilisers, seeds, diesel, electricity, agricultural tube wells, machinery, cotton, wheat, rice and livestock.

In a joint statement, the leaders said rising production costs continued to put pressure on growers, while there was still no strong policy on crop pricing, market access, storage, processing or export facilities. “Agricultural costs are continuously rising, but there is no strong policy for crop pricing, market access, storage, processing and export facilities,” the leaders said in a joint statement.

The PTI farmers’ wing also said Pakistan imported around 90 per cent of its edible oil needs, which it described as a serious challenge to food self-sufficiency. Mian Ghous and Mr Sadhraich said the available figures showed that current economic policies were adversely affecting both farmers and agricultural exports.

Khurram Shehzad Virk and Awais Jhakkar said the current federal budget was deeply disappointing for labourers, the rural economy and farm output, adding that agriculture, which they called the backbone of the national economy, had effectively been overlooked.

Gilgit-Baltistan remarks

Separately, while speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Omar Ayub Khan raised concerns about the political situation in Gilgit-Baltistan. He alleged that PTI’s public mandate in the region was being taken away and claimed that the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had limited representation there but still secured seats, while PTI candidates were denied victory.