Pakistan, July 15 -- Pakistan is importing what it should be growing. In FY25, pulse imports surged to 1.32 million tonnes (nearly a billion-dollar bill) as domestic production plummeted by almost 40 per cent, following a similar spike the year before. Red lentils, chickpeas, mung, mash, all feature on the shopping list abroad, even as they dwindle from our fields.

Pulses stand as Pakistan's most affordable source of protein. Their growing scarcity directly feeds into food inflation, which has already strained household budgets for years. With red lentil and chickpea prices surging between 60pc and 80pc since 2020, even the "poor man's protein" has rapidly become inaccessible for many.

That Pakistan-once justly referred to as the breadb...