Farmers’ Alliance Announces Million March Two Days Before PTI’s September 27 Long March
ISLAMABAD: The Farmers’ Alliance has announced a “Million March” towards Islamabad and Rawalpindi on September 25, just two days before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march on September 27, while demanding the immediate resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over what it described as failed agricultural policies.
Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club Islamabad, Farmers’ Alliance Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath and Central President Umair Masood strongly criticised the Punjab government’s agricultural policies and called for the chief minister’s resignation.
The farmers’ leaders alleged that flawed government policies had severely damaged the agricultural sector in Punjab, which they said had historically played a major role in meeting the food requirements of Pakistan and Afghanistan but was now facing difficulties even in meeting its own wheat requirements.
They claimed that wheat growers had suffered losses worth billions of rupees for two consecutive years because the government had failed to fulfil its commitments regarding wheat procurement. As a result, farmers had reduced wheat cultivation by between 30 and 40 percent, they said.
The farmers’ leaders further alleged that, under the current government, particularly in Punjab, false cases were being registered against farmers, raids were being conducted at their homes and restrictions were being imposed on the movement of agricultural produce.
They said sugarcane, potato, maize and cotton growers were also facing serious difficulties. The leaders described the Kisan Card and tractor schemes as largely symbolic initiatives, claiming that a majority of farmers had been unable to benefit from them.
The Farmers’ Alliance announced that farmers from across the country would march towards Islamabad and Rawalpindi on September 25.
They warned that if the farmers were stopped on the way, they would continue their journey on foot and reach the federal capital.
The farmers’ leaders said they would not return without securing the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
They also appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to rise above political affiliations and immediately review Punjab’s agricultural policies, warning that failure to address the farmers’ concerns could push the country towards a major food crisis.
