A trend is visible in Pakistan – any Prime Minister who has worked for International Financial Institutions or Banks will be able to complete his full term but those who won popular elections or backed by the Military lose their power abruptly mostly due to ‘ Corruption ’. Wheat and Sugar crisis ... This is a ‘ Reuters ’ article in 2009 . But this same heading is being seen in the newspapers over the past few years . It means the policies enforced by IMF since 2009 have only perpetuated the crisis if not exacerbated it .
While the cause for the present food crisis is thrown on climate , it is actually the neo liberal policies that ensured years of unsustainable support price for farm produce , its policy of replacing local production with imports from cheaply producing black sea countries , and its policy of eliminating import duties on wheat .
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics ( PBS ), wheat import increased 100 % to $ 92.29 million in September 2020 , compared to no imports in the same month of the last year . Sugar import shot up 5,536 % to $ 12.34 million compared to $ 219,000 . Import of raw cotton soared 2,249 % to $ 88.56 million in September compared to $ 3.77 million in the same month of the last year .
State Bank of Pakistan Governor Dr . Reza Baqir , the IMF man , says that the food inflation was seasonal . If food inflation is seasonal , fiscal deficits & CAD are cyclic , debts are perennial , food exporter becomes food importer , after the involvement of IMF for over 65 years , is it not perpetrated by IMF and the US imperialism ? Does it not prove that imperialism only expropriates but never alleviates , IMF is the cause and not the solution ? Similarities among the Nations of the Sub-Continent
Although not strange , like in India , every new government in Pakistan blames its predecessor governments but not IMF because to survive it needs funds from IMF thus proving the impact of finance capital on Politics .
May - 2022
Not just in Pakistan , Finance Capital is dictating the agriculture and agriindustry policies in many south Asian countries in the temperate and tropical zones . Primarily it is attacking the selfsufficient in food . It is forcing various restrictions on the water resources available aplenty and their utilisation in these Sates .
In all these countries , the export and import policies continue to be more or less the same , and wheat and grain are not allowed to be exported even though they are capable of . The situation is so terrible that these countries are not allowed to export to European countries which are experiencing a severe shortage of grains due to the ongoing conflict between their regular exporters Russia and Ukraine . Exports of food and other goods are also not permitted between the neighbouring countries of the subcontinent . Persistently some or the other conflict like border conflict , or conflict between the majority and the minority communities is invoked to keep a perpetual enmity between these countries . To sum up , the question before Pakistan is whether to serve the market needs of China or that of US and Europe .
Imperialists continue their tactics of imposing hegemonic policies , interfering in the internal affairs of the countries and constantly destabilizing governments to continue their imperialist exploitation . It is not surprising that along with Pakistan we find in these 5-6 countries similar policies and similar crises . In some countries they install their puppets as the rulers , and in some others they have their compradors who do not hesitate to mortgage the interests of their own people . Military budgets account for more than 40 per cent of the budgets in all these countries , and foreign exchange evaporates as interest on foreign debt . All these countries are experiencing the disastrous consequences of giving up self-reliant policies and adopting dependent economic policies .
The day the progressive forces , patriots and revolutionary forces who lead the people in all these countries understand the conspiracies of imperialism and its local compradors , recognize them as the common enemy and defeat them , this world turns a better place for everyone including flora and fauna . �
Havana ’ s 2022 May Day parade was attended by more than 700,000 workers and students from across Havana , demonstrating both a joyful celebration and triumphant victory of the Cuban Revolution .
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