Qadir Gillani calls for direct subsidy system for farmers in budget debate

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jun, 2026) Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) lawmaker Syed Abdul Qadir Gillani on Sunday proposed a transparent mechanism for the distribution of subsidised fertiliser and diesel directly to farmers, suggesting a model similar to the Benazir Income Support Programme.

Participating in the budget debate in the National Assembly, he said farmers could be issued dedicated cards through which they would be able to access subsidised agricultural inputs in a controlled and traceable manner.

He questioned whether subsidies allocated for farmers were actually reaching the intended beneficiaries, stressing that the most important issue was ensuring that small farmers directly benefit from government support.

He said there was a significant gap in the system, where fertiliser companies and middlemen often capture the benefit, while small growers are left behind.

He noted that even a Rs35 reduction per bag of fertiliser does not benefit farmers if it leads to black marketing and profiteering by manufacturers and brokers.

Referring to another initiative, he said the government had announced around Rs300 billion in loans for small farmers to solarise tube wells.

However, he expressed concern over the loan-based approach, arguing that farmers should ideally be made self-reliant rather than further burdened with debt, given their already fragile financial conditions.

He added that direct support or subsidy-based models would be more effective in strengthening the agricultural sector than loan schemes.

He also highlighted challenges faced by fruit and vegetable growers in Sindh and Punjab, particularly mango and vegetable exporters, who have suffered due to disruptions in export routes following regional tensions and restrictions, reducing access to traditional markets such as Iran and Gulf countries.

He warned that delays in exporting perishable goods result in significant losses for farmers, stressing the need for a timely and coherent export policy.

Criticising inconsistent energy and taxation policies, he said that while farmers were initially encouraged to adopt solar tube wells through incentives, recent changes in net metering policies and the imposition of taxes on solar inverters had created uncertainty and discouraged adoption.

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He also raised concerns over shifts in crop patterns, noting that cotton cultivation had declined as farmers moved towards sugarcane due to economic pressures.

He said reduced wheat support prices compared to previous years had further weakened cost-effectiveness for growers.

He cautioned that if agriculture becomes economically unviable, farmers would abandon cultivation, leading to increased dependence on imports and capital flight, which would further strain the national economy.

Member of the National Assembly Ghazala Anjum, while participating in the budget debate, criticised the performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, stating that despite remaining in power for several years, it had failed to launch any major public welfare project in the province.

She said that, in contrast, the Federal government had initiated several development projects across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in Chitral.

Highlighting key initiatives, she noted that substantial funds had been allocated for the Chitral–Shandur Road project, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced the establishment of a Danish school and a state-of-the-art hospital in Chitral, with work on both projects progressing rapidly.

She added that a Danish School had also been approved for Hazara Division, while major road infrastructure and hydropower projects across the province had been included in the federal budget.

Referring to the development of the University of Chitral, she credited former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for providing financial support for the institution. She added that the current budget had allocated Rs400 million for the completion of the university’s under-construction building.

Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal government, she said that Chitral and other underdeveloped districts were being given special attention in the federal development agenda.

She urged federal ministers to allocate additional resources for remote and neglected areas to ensure improved facilities and better living standards for local residents.