Wheat inquiry findings still hidden as key bureaucrat lands a new role

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has appointed Capt (R) Muhammad Mehmood as Secretary of the Board of Investment (BoI), a move that has quietly raised questions within policymaking and governance circles due to his reported involvement in the high-profile wheat import controversy. The appointment has also cast renewed doubt on the credibility and transparency of the multiple inquiries conducted into the scandal, the findings of which remain hidden nearly a year later.

According to sources familiar with the final inquiry into the wheat import issue, the former Secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MoNFS&R) was reportedly considered to have played a central role in recommending the import of wheat through the private sector. While some other officials were also identified in connection with the matter, the full report has yet to be made public despite repeated calls for its release.

Capt (R) Mehmood, a senior civil servant who has held various key positions, served as Secretary MoNFS&R from August 2023 to January 2024, a period during which crucial policy decisions were made. Proposals to allow unrestricted wheat imports by the private sector, without caps on quantity or timelines, were reportedly presented to the caretaker federal cabinet.

 This policy was later linked to a substantial oversupply in the domestic market, resulting in a steep fall in wheat prices during the April 2024 harvesting season and triggering widespread protests from the farming community, particularly in Punjab.

The scandal

The origins of the wheat scam go back to an amount of 1.2 million tonnes of wheat more than what was necessary to import. Back in 2022, devastating floods ruined Pakistan’s domestic wheat production. As a result, in 2023, the government decided to import more wheat to make up for the shortfall. The shortfall was around 2.4 million tons, but the government instead allowed the private sector to import 3.6 million tonnes.

The accusation is that the caretaker government of the time took kickbacks to allow this. As a result, there was an additional billion dollars tagged onto the import bill at a time when the economy was facing a dire shortage of foreign reserves. The problem was that last year, the chickens came home to roost, but the owner of the barn was different.

In 2024, due to the surplus, the Punjab government announced it would not be commencing or buying its regular amount of wheat. This was at a time when wheat had seen a bumper crop in Pakistan. The farmers protested, the Punjab government brought down the lathi on the protesting farmers, and negative sentiments prevailed. 

As per sources, the Ministry of National Food Security had facilitated the import of wheat allegedly in collusion with the mafia and wheat importers and defrauded the country of more than one billion dollars of foreign exchange. This import inflicted a loss of above Rs 300 billion to the farmers and Rs 104 billion to the government exchequer according to the sources. 

In response to public pressure, the government launched a series of inquiries aimed at identifying policy failures and holding administrative officials accountable. Initial findings acknowledged systemic lapses, but, according to officials familiar with internal discussions, early drafts of the report pointed to procedural flaws and identified individuals in senior roles. However, the final version reportedly refrained from naming high-ranking officials and instead focused on the actions of junior and mid-level officers, several of whom held temporary or marginal positions at the time.

As a result, five junior officers remain suspended, including some with no direct involvement in the policymaking or import approval process. Meanwhile, no action has been taken against those who were directly responsible for proposing or endorsing the import policy at senior levels. The apparent imbalance in accountability has prompted concern within the bureaucracy and among governance observers about fairness and consistency in disciplinary action.

It is to be noted that the current ruling party was also divided on how to deal with this matter.  Mian Nawaz Sharif, at the time this scandal surfaced, publicly stated that he supported strict action against the preceding caretaker government, which was a key suspect in the wheat import. However, his younger brother, the prime minister, was more reluctant to involve Anwar ul Haq Kakar’s caretaker setup in any sort of federal criminal investigation, especially since the Punjab CM from the caretaker era, Mohsin Naqvi, now served as interior minister in his cabinet. 

The consequence of this appointment

The selection of Capt (R) Mehmood for the key foreign investment role has drawn criticism from various quarters. While the government has not publicly explained the rationale for the posting, civil society groups and transparency advocates have questioned whether due diligence was observed, especially considering the unresolved status of the wheat import case.

The controversy takes on added significance following the release of the Auditor General of Pakistan’s (AGP) audit report for the fiscal year 2023–24. The report flagged serious financial irregularities and mismanagement across several federal ministries and divisions, totaling over Rs1,100 billion. Among the findings was the aforementioned import of wheat stocks.

Transparency advocates have called for the immediate public release of the wheat inquiry report, citing the scale of public funds involved and the implications for food security and governance integrity. They argue that public confidence in institutional oversight can only be restored through clear and impartial accountability.

The broader context of the wheat import episode echoes past commodity-related scandals, including sugar and fertilizer, where disciplinary measures have often focused on junior officials while sparing those involved in formulating or approving controversial policies. Observers caution that unless structural reforms are undertaken and accountability is enforced across all levels, public trust in administrative transparency will remain at risk.