ISLAMABAD: The protest sit-in staged by farmers on Friday entered its third day but so far no progress has been made in the negotiations between the protesters and the government.

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 the 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.

Butt said that the government offered them to meet the prime minister at the inauguration of a bridge in the city. “We refused to meet with the premier at the inauguration ceremony and demanded to arrange a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House,” he added.

He said that we will continue our sit-in till the fulfillment of our demands. If the government thinks that we will end the sit-in and go home after being given lollipops, then they are thinking wrong, he said.

The capital police for the third 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.

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.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022