NAB probes Rs500 million corruption in wheat procurement, 58 PASSCO centres under scrutiny

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Multan has intensified its investigation into alleged corruption and irregularities in the wheat procurement process and the distribution of gunny bags (bardana) by the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), following complaints from farmers in south Punjab.

The inquiry was approved in August 2024 after several farmers filed written complaints regarding mismanagement in the wheat procurement process.  NAB officials revealed that since the start of the investigation, efforts have been focused on gathering documentary evidence, reviewing procurement records, and conducting field inspections to verify the allegations.

On February 17, 2026, a NAB team carried out a surprise inspection at the PASSCO zonal office in Vehari, summoning Project Managers from Mailsi, including Sameer Hussain and Asghar Khan, and in-charges from 19 wheat procurement centres operating in the region. The investigators conducted detailed questioning about wheat purchases, gunny bag allocations, and financial transactions.

Sources stated that investigators meticulously reviewed records related to gunny bag issuance, wheat receipts, stock positions, farmer lists, CNIC data, bank payment records, and warehousing documentation. Several affected farmers were present during the visit and provided their testimonies to the inquiry team.

The complainants allege that approximately 1.075 million gunny bags allocated to the 19 procurement centres in Mailsi were diverted to middlemen, commission agents, and non-eligible individuals instead of genuine farmers. They further claim that gunny bags were sold illegally at prices ranging from Rs500 to Rs1,000 per bag. The farmers also estimate that financial irregularities exceeding Rs500 million may have occurred due to this alleged corruption.

The farmers argued that due to the unavailability of bardana, many were unable to sell their wheat at the government’s fixed support price of Rs3,900 per maund, forcing them to sell in the open market at much lower rates, as low as Rs2,700 per maund, resulting in significant financial losses.

In addition, it was reported that payments for 11,761 wheat bags delivered to the PASSCO Mailsi Centre 1 have not been made yet. A group of 61 affected farmers has demanded immediate payment of these outstanding dues and called for the implementation of a transparent digital bardana management system to prevent future irregularities and protect both public funds and the farmers’ interests.

NAB sources confirmed that the investigation’s scope has expanded to include Burewala and Bahawalnagar zones, with statements recorded from project managers and centre in-charges. Irregularities at 58 procurement centres are currently under scrutiny. Bank transaction records, mobile data, and financial audits are also being examined to determine the responsibility of individuals involved.