Pakistan

Govt to challenge ECP's decision against Kissan package in apex court

PM Nawaz directs attorney general to file petition in SC against suspension of certain provisions of package

Abdul Manan October 06, 2015

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif waves at the audience during Kisan Convention in Islamabad on September 14, 2015. PHOTO: PML-N

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed on Tuesday Attorney General of Pakistan Salman Aslam Butt to challenge in the Supreme Court the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to suspend the premier’s Kissan package.

The prime minister gave the go-ahead to the AGP during a meeting held under the former’s chair to address issues faced by the agricultural sector and facilitation to farmers.

Read: Kissan Package suspension: Farmers threaten to block LG polls

The AGP has been directed to file a petition in the country’s apex court against the suspension of certain provisions that facilitate farmers in the Kissan package after the ECP’s decision.

“The Kissan package is not specific to any region but for the farmers of the entire nation and it is the right of all the country’s farmers,” PM Nawaz told the participants of the meeting.

Further, the prime minister said that the farmers’ community throughout the country was suffering due to the non-implementation of the Kissan package. “The government is working to protect farmers’ rights and is working without any political or regional bias.”

Meanwhile, the prime minister also approved the establishment of Agricultural Research Endowment Fund for enhancing research on agriculture to maximise the agriculture production.

Farmers had threatened on Friday to disrupt the upcoming local government elections until the government restores the package and fulfils its promise on a fertiliser subsidy. “We will not allow the local government elections to take place,” Pakistan Kisaan Ittehad (PKI) president Khalid Mehmood Khokhar told a news conference in Islamabad. “The country will suffer if the government does not pay attention to the agriculture sector.”

Read: ECP halts implementation of PM’s Kissan package

On September 30, the ECP had halted certain parts of the premier's Rs341 billion Kissan package — a controversial relief package announced by the PM ahead of local government elections in Sindh and Punjab. The secretary ECP said the package was a violation of the code of conduct of the commission as it was announced at a time that could heavily influence voters.

COMMENTS (3)

syed & syed | 8 years ago | Reply This package should have been announced much before. This time was chosen by Nawaz Shareef is to influence voters.One thing can be predicted that the package will be thrown in waste paper basket very shortly. Instead of packages, metros etc efforts should have been made to finish load shedding, construction of dams, drilling both in land and off shore.

H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply People forget here that Crops follow seasons and denying Farmers this advantage is criminal. If some how Kissan package is not given to farmers, it will be far more deadly for PTI than any thing that PMLN can gain in Local Bodies elections. Governments develop and state machinery works every day regardless of elections or not. PMLN will take political advantage no matter what and PTI is set to lose now no matter what so why make Farmers suffer.

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