ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Kissan Itehad (PKI), a representative organisation of farmers, on Wednesday ended its sit-in after they were assured by the government that their problems will be resolved.

After successful negotiations with the government, the farmers ended the protest sit-in at F-9 Park and dispersed peacefully.

PKI president Khalid Mehmood Khokhar said that during the negotiations it was decided that he will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 28 with respect to their demands.

He said that if their demands were not fulfilled even after the meeting with the prime minister we will stage a countrywide protest and block the whole country.

Farmers demanded of the government to abolish additional levies imposed on the agriculture sector as well as provide fertilisers, diesel, and seed to farmers free of cost in flood-hit areas of the country.

A large number of farmers gathered at Chakri interchange and then marched toward Islamabad under the auspices of PKI to press the government for the fulfillment of their demands. The PKI earlier announced that they will march to the Parliament house but after government functionaries engaged them, they decided to stage a sit-in at F-9 Park. Farmers raised slogans against the government and in favour of their demands.

They also demanded of the government to announce a subsidy for DAP fertiliser on an immediate basis and stop the black marketing of fertilisers. The protesters urged the government to fix the minimum support price (MSP) at Rs4,000 per 40kg.

Farmers said that keeping in view rising petroleum product prices and inflation, the government should fix the indicative price of sugarcane at Rs400 per 40kg. The price of milk should be increased and agriculture should be given status of industry.

They said that the unbearable price hike in fertiliser, electricity bills, and other agriculture inputs has made agriculture nonviable. The production of major crops including wheat, sugarcane, rice, and cotton will decline further if the government did not pay heed toward rising electricity bills and input cost.

The participants of the sit-in had brought rice bags, cooked rice, tents and gas cylinders in their van. The leadership had urged the protesters to be ready as they can move to D-Chowk anytime.

The police did not allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi to join the farmers who went to express solidarity with PKI protesters.

The city police had heightened the security especially of Red Zone and across the city in general. The city police had closed NADRA Chowk, Express Chowk, and Ayub Chowk through shipping containers and barbed wires. The entry to Red Zone was only allowed form Margalla road and Serena Chowk.

Heavy contingent of police personnel and prison vans were deployed at sector F-9 to block the movement of protesters towards D-Chowk.

The police had blocked different roads for traffic leading to F-9 Park.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022