PCGA seeks action against textile minister

The Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) adopted a unanimous resolution against Federal Textile Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, requesting the Prime Minister to initiate an inquiry against him and also impose a ban on the cotton varieties (BT-121 and FH-114) approved by Punjab Seed Council.
The resolution tabled by Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan described the Textile Minister as "an enemy of farmers and agriculture sector". The resolution demanded a high-level inquiry against him for playing a role of Aptma's agent.
The Committee, which met here under the chairmanship of Amanullah Qureshi, also approved a plan for expansion of the PCGA's Headquarter in Multan. Another resolution was adopted by the committee against the seed mafia which was accused of hoodwinking the farmers as well as the government by selling the seed of micro-naire staple. "Pakistani farmers and other stakeholders are being fleeced in the name of a free trade mechanism, WTO regime, and other international constraints by the agents of Aptma, occupying key posts in the government," the resolution said. The meeting asked as to why not India was being punished by WTO for neglecting the organisation's restriction and safeguarding the interest of its growers while it was also one of the signatories of the WTO regime.
Amanullah Qureshi stressed the need for implementation of the suggestions, proposals and recommendations of all stakeholders. Confession of the textile minister that he had restricted the procurement of one billion bales of cotton through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), was in fact an admission of a crime which caused a loss of Rs 225 billion to the farmers, the committee maintained.
He vowed to raise voice at all fora against the injustice and negative behaviour of bureaucracy and its agents. The meeting was attended by Kishan Chand Kohistani, Vice-Chairman (south), Khwaja Muhammad Ilyas, Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan, Hafiz Sadiq Hussain, Haji Haq Nawaz, Chaudhry Masood, Haji Muhammad Akram, Shaikh Muhammad Saeed, Suhail Mehmood Haral, Rao Sadaruddin, Khalid Hanif Lodhi, Mian Rashid Mehmood, Khwaja Muhammad Azam, Shaikh Muhammad Ayub, Amjad Farooq Khandwa, Qazi Irfan, Rana Masud Arif, Ashiq Ali Rehmani, Khalid Khan and Muhammad Arshad.