PESHAWAR: A massive food security scandal has surfaced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following revelations that government-stored wheat at the Azakhel warehouses in Nowshera is heavily contaminated and unfit for human consumption.
According to an official inquiry report by the Governor’s Inspection Team, samples collected from the facility were sent to the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) laboratory, which confirmed the presence of aflatoxins—dangerous toxins produced by mold resulting from improper storage and exposure to moisture.
Key Findings of the Inquiry into the Major Food Scandal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The Azakhel government wheat warehouse spans approximately 150 kanals. Inspection revealed that six warehouses across two blocks were severely compromised after floodwaters breached protective boundary walls through gaps and inadequate drainage systems.
Laboratory diagnostics officially declared the affected wheat stocks hazardous to human health, raising serious alarms regarding the safety protocols and distribution mechanisms governing provincial food reserves.
Directive and Political Fallout
Taking strict notice of the report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi ordered an immediate halt to the supply of the contaminated wheat to flour mills. He further directed authorities to fix responsibility and initiate stern legal and departmental action against officials found guilty of negligence.
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The disclosure has intensified political scrutiny over the management of strategic food reserves during the previous tenure of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s administration. Observers and officials have emphasized the need to audit administrative records to determine whether any of the compromised stock reached local markets or flour mills, threatening public health.
The provincial administration is currently facing mounting pressure to ensure complete transparency, enhance warehousing security against natural disasters, and hold negligent officials accountable.
