SANGLA HILL- The workers of Anjuman-e-Kashtkaran Punjab (AKP) staged a protest in front of local press club for acceptance of their demands.
The protesting workers were led by AKP General Secretary Ch Hassan Javaid Chattha. They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. They chanted slogans against the authorities concerned for neglecting the woes being faced by the farmer community.
Addressing the participants, Ch Hassan Javaid Chattha said that rice export contributed about $2 billion per annum to the national exchequer. Due to discriminatory treatment with paddy growers and exporters, he said, Indian and Thai exporters are capturing the international market of rice despite the fact Pakistan produces the finest quality of rice. He urged the government to fix the support price of Irri rice at Rs1,900 per 40kg and of Basmati rice at Rs4,000 per 40kg. The support price of cottonseed (Phutti) should be fixed at Rs6,000 per 40kg, he added. “If support price of cottonseed is not increased, growers would obviously shift to other crops for yielding better dividends of their blood and toil,” he noted. Mr Chattha highlighted the importance of textile sector, saying it comprises 60 percent of country’s exports and 50 percent contribution to the national exchequer.
He vowed to continue protest until acceptance of farmers’ demands. He also warned to stage country-wide protests if demands of farmers are not met. He also criticised hike in POL prices. Other AKP office-bearers were also present on the occasion.
