A severe wheat shortage is plunging Gilgit-Baltistan into crisis, leaving communities distressed and intensifying anger towards the central government. Long queues form before dawn outside ration shops, with hopeful residents carrying empty bags and tokens, often to no avail. The essential, subsidized wheat, crucial for surviving the harsh winters, has become exceedingly scarce over recent weeks. Families across Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, and other towns report that securing basic food supplies has become a daily struggle. Local traders corroborate these accounts, noting a significant surge in market prices that places the staple grain beyond the reach of many.
Residents are vocal in their belief that this shortage is not accidental. Community leaders allege that the persistent scarcity is a deliberate pattern of neglect, particularly for a region already deprived of political rights. They argue that Gilgit-Baltistan consistently faces the brunt of resource shortfalls and experiences the slowest recovery. This deepening food insecurity coincides with crippling electricity outages that plague many areas, leaving businesses reliant on power struggling and students forced to study by candlelight, despite the region’s significant hydropower generation.
The underlying issue, many believe, stems from Islamabad’s governance framework. Gilgit-Baltistan’s status outside Pakistan’s constitution, lacking representation in national legislative bodies and access to the Supreme Court, means crucial decisions about resources are made remotely, with minimal local input. This system is increasingly perceived as one that benefits from the region’s resources while offering little in return. Civil society groups point out that the current winter’s wheat crisis could have been averted had federal authorities acted proactively on earlier warnings from local administrations about dwindling supplies. Instead of increasing shipments, residents claim, officials offered mere assurances and cited transportation delays.
As the shortages have intensified, street protests have erupted, with citizens demanding the restoration of subsidized wheat supplies and transparency in distribution. Elderly residents recall returning home empty-handed multiple times, a hardship not even experienced in previous difficult years. Many protesters connect the food crisis to broader grievances, including land acquisition for development projects without fair compensation, hydropower exports while locals face darkness, and major projects initiated without consultation. They see this as evidence of Gilgit-Baltistan being treated as a peripheral territory, despite its strategic importance. For the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, the immediate worry is securing enough wheat to survive. With winter intensifying and no clear governmental plan, fears of the crisis worsening are palpable. Tired of promises, many believe the current situation highlights a systemic issue where a resource-rich region struggles for basic necessities due to a lack of political voice.
