LAHORE: Different farmer unions and movements from across the country announced nationwide protests on May 21, to press the government for acceptance of their demands including immediate arrest of former caretaker prime minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, bureaucrats and importers involved in the wheat scam.
They also demanded compensation for the damage done to farmers due to this import.
The demand was raised on behalf of various organizations by General Secretary of Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee Farooq Tariq while addressing at a press conference on Thursday after the joint meeting of farmer unions and movements. The meeting was attended by farmers from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Tariq Farooq further said, “Pakistan imported 3.4 million tons of wheat from August 2023 to March 2024, and wasted 330 billion rupees. The imported wheat was infested with 1.3 million tons of insects.”
“All those involved in the wheat import scandal should be arrested immediately and their cases should be tried in the NAB courts,” said Malik Zulfiqar Awan, President of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad.
“The wheat import policy, which allowed the private sector to buy, should be abolished. The wheat was imported from six countries in 70 ships when everyone knew that wheat had already been planted in more acres in Pakistan and especially in Punjab.”
The farmers also demanded the establishment of laboratories at the tehsil level to eliminate fake fertilizers and sprays and demanded strict action against those who charge unbearable interest on loans to small farmers.
The farmers asked for a minimum support price for wheat and other crops and urged the government to regulate the market to ensure fair prices for their produce. They also demanded that the government should be obliged to buy wheat from farmers every year and ensure fair distribution of bardana to small farmers and peasants.
The farmers announced protests across the country on May 21 and warned that they would intensify their agitation until their demands were met.
In a joint statement, the farmers said, “We will no longer tolerate further exploitation. We are in touch with farmers’ movements across the country and will highlight the atrocities committed against farmers in Pakistan at international level. It will be difficult for the government to suppress our voices.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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