As many as 175 farmers in the capital were arrested
ISLAMABAD: As many as 175 farmers in the capital were arrested when their protest for relief measures for the agriculture sector in the federal budget developed into a clash between them and the police. The farmers were only holding a protest to demand subsidies for fertiliser and electricity, among other things, but all they got in return was a baton-charge and tear gas.
In a country where agriculture constitutes the largest sector in our economy, such high-handedness by the law-enforcing agency only goes on to show the neglect the famers face. It is saddening to know that after all the work farmers do for us, mostly in exchange for meagre repayments, not much is being done to facilitate their demands. The new budget claims to offer Rs50,000 in loans on discounted rates for small farmers, but to what extent will this help resolve their problems. The government should set up a committee to hear the demands of the farmers and resolve their problems in an amicable way, giving them an opportunity of two-way communication, and set an agenda to resolve them.
Sami Warsi
Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2017.
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