Demanding their due : Farmers warn of further protest

Growers demand release of pending sugarcane payments

LAHORE: Reiterating their demands, farmers demanded the release of pending sugarcane payments, waiver of arrears from agriculture tube wells’ bills and a subsidy on different inputs.

Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) leader Chaudhry Anwar warned the provincial government that if farmers’ demands were not met promptly, they would hold a sit-in at Thokar Niaz Beg on Thursday (today).



Speaking to the media after a meeting with the CCPO on Wednesday, Anwar highlighted that the police officer lacked the authority to resolve farmers’ problems. “However, he can help schedule a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. He said Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had informed farmers over the phone that the chief minister had accepted all of their demands. He also assured that a meeting would soon be held with leaders of the farming community. Farmers have been on the roads for 48 hours in favour of their demands. “If Shehbaz does not give them does not give them an appointment to hear their demands, they will again hold a sit-in.”



Anwar, along with other leaders of the farming community, said hundreds of angry growers protested on Main Multan Road late on Monday night and it continued till late Tuesday night. He said the provincial government assured farmers’ representatives that the government had accepted all their legitimate demands. The farmers blocked main Multan Road and M2 Motorway for all kinds of vehicular traffic. This caused great inconvenience for commuters. Though, farmers from different areas had termporarily called off their protest, most demonstrators were still in the city and ready to take to the streets at any time if the government failed to accept their demands.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2017.