ISLAMABAD: Farmers continued their sit-in at the heart of the metropolis after their possible meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was cancelled on Monday.
A delegation of protesters led by Kissan Ittehad Pakistan (KIP) Chairman Khalid Hussain Butt went for a meeting with the prime minister at the invitation of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah but they could not meet the premier due to his busy schedule.
Talking to media, Butt said that when they reached for a meeting with the premier on the invitation of Sanaullah, the interior minister was informed that the premier is busy and the meeting of farmers with him is not possible.
He said that the interior minister told us that the Ministry of Finance and Water and Power is working for the resolution of their problems. The interior minister further told the farmers’ delegation that their demand regarding meeting with the prime minister would be fulfilled by Tuesday (today), he said, adding that the farmers’ meeting with the premier will be scheduled in his Tuesday meetings’ schedule and then the farmers will be informed.
Butt said that we will wait for tomorrow (Tuesday) and if our meeting with the premier was not held we will continue our sit-in till the fulfilment of our demands.
Earlier, two rounds of talks between farmers and government officials had ended in failure. Protesting farmers had demanded a meeting with the prime minister.
“The farmers will continue their sit-in until their problems are resolved,” he said. “We will march to D-Chowk in case of the failure of talks with the government,” he warned.
The protest rally of a large of farmers under the umbrella Kissan Ittehad Pakistan (KIP) led by its chairman Khalid Hussain Butt reached the capital city on September 28 after removing barricades erected by the police to avert their entry to the city. They continued their sit-in at Blue Area on Jinnah Avenue under the Faisal Avenue underpass.
The capital police for the sixth day blocked entry into Red Zone from NADRA Chowk, Ayub Chowk, Express Chowk as well as blocked some other roads due to which heavy traffic jam was witnessed in the city, and motorists faced problems.
Farmers said that they would not end their protest on verbal assurance of the government regarding their demands and the government should issue directives immediately regarding our demands and also take practical steps.
The protesters demanded of the government to reduce the price of fertilizers including urea and DAP as well as provide electricity to farmers at the rate of Rs5.35 per unit.
The protesting farmers have demanded to reduce the power tariff, regretting that the government had raised the electricity to Rs36 per unit. They demanded of the government to provide them electricity at the rate of Rs5.35 per unit. The demonstrators have also demanded subsidies on fertilisers and diesel, while taxes on agricultural machinery and tractors should be abolished.
The protesters urged the government to fix the minimum support price (MSP) at Rs4,000 per 40kg. They also urged the government to decrease the prices of pesticides. They said that government needs to take effective steps to stop the black marketing of fertilisers. Farmers said that loans should be provided to them at a low-interest rate.
Till the filing of this report, the protesters have continued their sit-in.
A heavy contingent of police personnel and prison vans were deployed at the protest venue as well as across the city.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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