Farmers vow to march on capital to protest Punjab’s ‘flawed’ agri policies on Sept 25

ISLAMABAD: Farmers from across Pakistan are threatening to stage a 'million march' on Islamabad on September 25, rallying against the Punjab government's agricultural policies. Kisan Ittehad, a prominent farmers' organization, announced the protest in a press conference at the National Press Club, lambasting the government's policies as "flawed" and claiming they have pushed the agriculture sector to the brink of collapse.

The protesters claimed that Punjab now lacks sufficient wheat to meet its own needs, and threatened to return to the capital without the resignation of the chief minister. They emphasized that farmers from throughout the country would participate in the march, vowing to walk to Islamabad if they were obstructed. The organizers stressed that their objective was not road blockades, but securing their rights through any necessary means.

Kisan Ittehad leaders expressed hope that Pakistan could reduce its import requirements and boost exports by increasing the production of olives, cotton, rice, wheat, vegetables, and fruits. They urged the government to prioritize the protection of agricultural land, water, and farmers' rights. The protesters urged authorities to withdraw cases and FIRs against farmers, and to stop assigning blame for policy failures on the farmers.

If farmers are forced to abandon cultivation, Chairman of Kisan Ittehad Khalid Hussain Baath warned, "the country could face a major food crisis." The farmers emphasized that over the past two years, wheat growers have suffered significant financial losses, with losses in the billions during the first year while the government downplayed the figures.

Despite assurances that the government would purchase wheat in the following year, that promise was not kept, and the private sector failed to enter the market effectively. Due to continuous losses, wheat cultivation in Punjab has already dropped by 30 to 40 percent, leaving the food basket of the country facing a wheat crisis for its own needs.

The protesters accused the government of talking about deregulating wheat while simultaneously raiding farmers' homes to seize wheat and imposing bans on transportation to other provinces. President of Kisan Ittehad Umair Masood highlighted that agriculture is a fundamental pillar of the country's economy, but farmers are not receiving effective subsidies from the federal government nor adequate relief from the Punjab government.