A severe wheat shortage is gripping Gilgit-Baltistan, causing widespread distress and sparking renewed anger towards Islamabad. Residents are enduring long queues outside ration shops daily, often returning home empty-handed as subsidized wheat, a crucial winter staple, becomes increasingly scarce. Local markets have seen sharp price increases, pushing the basic food item beyond the reach of many families across Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, and surrounding areas.
Community groups and residents contend that this shortage is not a natural occurrence but a deliberate act of neglect. They argue that Gilgit-Baltistan, already lacking political rights, is consistently denied timely access to essential resources. A shopkeeper in Skardu lamented, “Whenever resources run short, this region gets hit first and recovers last. It has been like this for years.” This sentiment is echoed by families struggling to secure even basic meals.
The food crisis is exacerbated by ongoing, crippling electricity outages that leave many neighborhoods without power for extended periods. Businesses dependent on refrigeration and heating are struggling, while students face difficulties studying, ironically in a region that generates significant hydropower for Pakistan.
Residents attribute these persistent problems to Islamabad’s governance structure. Gilgit-Baltistan’s status outside Pakistan’s constitution, lacking representation in national legislative bodies and access to the Supreme Court, means critical decisions regarding resources are made remotely, with little local input. This has fostered a perception of a system that extracts resources without adequate return.
Civil society organizations highlight that the current winter wheat shortage could have been averted with proactive federal intervention. Despite repeated warnings from local administrations about diminishing supplies, officials allegedly offered only routine reassurances and blamed transportation delays. This inaction has fueled public frustration, leading to street protests across the region.
Protesters are linking the food crisis to broader grievances, including land acquisition for development projects without fair compensation, hydropower being diverted while locals face darkness, and major projects being initiated without consultation. They feel Gilgit-Baltistan, despite its strategic importance, is treated as a peripheral region.
For the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, the immediate concern remains securing enough wheat for their families. With winter intensifying and no clear action plan from Islamabad, fears are mounting that the situation will deteriorate further. After years of unfulfilled promises, residents believe this crisis underscores a deeper issue: a region blessed with natural wealth is struggling for basic sustenance due to its limited political influence.