ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Thursday announced the start of ‘tractor march’ from January 21, saying that due to the government’s anti-agriculture policies the country is facing serious crisis.
Addressing a joint press conference, PPP senior leaders Naveed Qamar and Shazia Marri said that the ‘tractor march’ will be started from January 21 from Sahiwal Division. From January 24, the protest would be carried across all division and districts to highlight farmers’ issues.
If farmers cannot grow wheat, cotton or other crops due to fertiliser shortages, it would affect the whole economy. Qamar also announced to reject the mini-budget, while saying that the State Bank of Pakistan amendment bill and such mini-budget would increase inflation.
Qamar said that things which the country was producing and even exporting are currently being imported and resulted in current account deficit. He further said the government is currently relying on indirect taxes, which is an easy way for tax collection.
He said that agriculture in Pakistan is going through one or the other crises. Currently, there are shortages of urea and where the government has a big hand. When the fertiliser truck passes, looting like situation begins. The Punjab government provides a sac on a card. Even if one takes the whole family, but will not get enough fertilizer. The Punjab government did the same thing, they did during the sugar crisis and lining up the people, Qamar added.
He further said that there is an agricultural crisis in Pakistan and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also spoke in the Parliament on the matter. The farmers are on the roads, but there is no effect on the incompetent government. They would protest against the mini-budget inside and outside the parliament as they reject it, he added.
Qamar said that the real job is to be self-sufficient in agriculture and there is no other solution to overcome crisis. Those who have Washington thinking, do not know the farmers here.
Qamar said that all this protest is to put pressure on the government that they should not consider the farmers as second class citizens. The government remained asleep on this issue but provide quotas for their people. The PPP government provided subsidies to the farmers during its tenure.
Marri said that Bilawal has raised the issue of agriculture in the mini-budget debate. At the moment, our farmers are very worried because of huge crisis of urea been created. Agriculture is a food security issue and therefore, they have rejected this mini budget.
´We have planned protests inside and outside the Parliament. We have proposed amendments against the oppressive taxes, but are also protesting as it is our basic right. The PPP has announced the march in February but are deeply concerned about the problems facing the farmers,” she added.
Qamar said that the government is borrowing heavily from abroad. Problems are increasing due to wrong policies of the government. We have to take practical steps to become self-sufficient in agriculture. We invite all political parties from all walks of life to join this march. Unfortunately, these rulers know Washington and the outside world, but they do not know about their provinces and the people, he added.
Qamar said that all these protests are being carried out to increase the pressure on the government. In this country, the farmers have been rated as second class citizens and they have the right to raise this issue.
The current crisis is due to the government’s mismanagement. If there was a shortage, the government should have imported it on time. We have announced the long march on February 27. The Farmers March is also the first link in the chain. India’s protest is certainly an example because Modi has become an example of all kinds of oppression. These protests have taken place not only in India but also in Europe. We are expanding consultations on in-house change.
We have announced February 27 and the PDM has announced March 23. We announced February because March is far away and the people are worried, Qamar added. Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmed said that there is a shortage of urea but a sac is being sold at Rs3,500 in black market. The farmer is being abused, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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