Karachi:
The Kissan Ittehad and the Sindh Abadgar alliance have announced a protest movement through Punjab as of August 11 due to the government’s “failure” to fix the official wheat support price.
“On August 11, a symbolic funeral for agriculture will take place outside the DC office in Kasur, and a protest will take place outside the Hyderabad Press Club on August 20,” Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Hussain Batth, at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, said on Saturday.
The president of Sindh Abadgar Alliance, Zubair Talpur, was also present on the occasion.
Batth said the protests would take place in all provinces, followed by a march towards Islamabad. “This time, we will protest before the wheat cultivation season begins,” he said, clarifying that this movement has no affiliation with any political party.
He added that in the last two years, the cost of wheat cultivation has been RS4,000 per 40 kg, while the government bought wheat with only RS2,200.
“We are ready for a forensic audit,” he said. “The government demands up to 45% in taxes, but how can we pay taxes when we are not even obtaining profits?”
He said that if the government does not establish a price of wheat support before the planting begins, it will initiate conversations with the prime minister and the main ministers. If there is still no decision, the protests throughout the province will be launched in Punjab on August 11 and in Sindh on August 20.
“The government has failed to fix wheat prices for the past two years,” he said.
