Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed grave concern over the acute shortage of urea fertilizer in the country, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

In a statement, he said how tragic it was that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was acting like a mute spectator to the ordeal of farmers who were running from pillar to the post in search of urea. “The commodity is being smuggled and sold at exorbitant rates and the farmers are protesting, but the government has not moved even by an inch,” Shehbaz said, alleging that truth of the matter was that all this was the result of government’s incompetence and corruption.

Calling for an end to the exploitation of farmers, PML-N president said that former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif had announced what he claimed a ‘historic’ package for the country’s farmers in 2015 under which they were compensated for the losses they suffered in floods.   

He questioned if urea’s prices were high globally, then why did not the government take steps to control its smuggling? “The shortage of urea will lead to less agricultural productivity,” he expressed the fear.  

Shehbaz regretted that the country which used to export wheat and sugar was now importing the same commodities. 

He went on to say that the country had record cotton production of over 10 million bales in 2015-16 when last time the PML-N was in power. “While the figures of cotton production being given by the present government are all fudged,” PML-N president claimed.