Several growers arrested amid baton charge  Punjab info minister denies arrests  Azma claims some elements wanted to achieve political interests  Farmers demand govt to immediately procure wheat to avoid further price crash.

LAHORE  -  The provincial government is under fire as the farmers from across the Punjab province on Monday gathered at Lahore’s GPO chowk against the wheat procurement policy demanding the government to raise the target of wheat purchase.

The police in order to ‘maintain law and order’ wielded to batons on the protesting farmers and sealed the roads leading towards GPO Chowk with large-size containers.

The delay in wheat procurement and price crash triggered the growers’ protest. Protesters say they were being forced to sell wheat at Rs 2500 to Rs 3000 per 40-kg against the Rs3900 per 40kg support price announced by the government.

The farmers from different cities on the call of Kissan Ittehad in a bid to mount pressure on the government to reconsider its newly adopted policy gathered at GPO Chowk to staged protest in front of Pun­jab Assembly which was thwart­ed with police action. Heavy con­tingent of police equipped with anti riot gear along with prison vans and water cannons were de­ployed at GPO Chowk. In an effort to disperse the crowd the police baton charged the wheat grow­ers and arrested several farm­ers including Kissan Ittehad Pa­kistan general secretary Mian Umair Massood. Earlier, the Pun­jab government came up with the plan to halt wheat growers from reaching Lahore after Kissan Itte­had announced its plan to launch a protest drive in the provincial capital. In this regard heavy con­tingents of police were deployed on the motorways and roads leading into Lahore. 

The Kissan Ittehad activists claimed that government had blocked multiple crossing and in­terchanges towards Lahore in­cluding Shahdara, Sagian, Thokar Niaz Baig and Sherakot, adding several busses carrying protes­tors were stopped from enter­ing Lahore while several farmers were also detained. Kissan Board Pakistan’s President Rashid Min­halawas was also arrested from his Lahore’s residence by the po­lice even before the commence­ment of the protest. Earlier, Kis­san Ittehad’s central chairman Khalid Hussain had urged the farmers to reach provincial cap­ital in caravans through var­ied routes to mark protest out­side Punjab Assembly at 2:00pm. Hussain added that the protest was delayed due to widespread overnight crackdown by the po­lice against farmers across Pun­jab. Accusing Punjab government of deception he alleged that the provincial government launched an overnight crackdown against farmers even before the call for sit-in protest in Lahore. 

Notable Kisan Ittehad officials, including Vice President Sabir Niaz Kamboh and Kisan Board Punjab head Mian Abdul Ra­sheed were detained by police prompting widespread condem­nation. Farmers termed the cur­rent wheat procurement policy as brutality stating that in addi­tion to the Punjab government’s refusal to procure wheat at of­ficial rates amid recent heavy downpour has multiplied the miseries of wheat growers.

Meanwhile, Punjab Informa­tion Minister Azma Bukhari said on Monday that the Punjab gov­ernment was in touch with the real representatives of farmers. In a statement issued here, she said that no representative of farmers or their organisations had been arrested across the province. She said, “The Punjab government is protecting the in­terests of farmers and will do the same in future as well.”

The minister said there were three to four organizations of farmers in the country, adding that some elements in the dis­guise of farmers just wanted to achieve their political interests. Azma said that there were some seasonal farmers, who had actual­ly contested elections against the PML-N from opponent parties. It is unfortunate that a specific par­ty is using its people to politicise the wheat issue, she said, and add­ed that the party was the biggest enemy of farmers. 

Meanwhile, the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Monday gave tough time to the govern­ment on the Assembly floor by strongly advocating the cause of the farmers who came out on streets yesterday demanding re­versal of wheat policy. In their speeches, the Opposition mem­bers led by Ahmad Khan Bach­har and Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan condemned police crackdown on famers and stressed upon the government to accept their de­mands. Interestingly, Speaker Punjab Assembly sided with the government and directed the Fi­nance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Reh­man to come up with a clear pol­icy on wheat procurement by Tuesday (Today). The Speaker even deferred the adjournment of the Assembly session for one day in the hope that the gov­ernment will address concerns of the wheat growers and an­nounce a revised wheat policy on the Assembly floor.

The speaker said that PASCO had been given a target to pur­chase 18 lac tons of wheat from certain districts, but all districts are not covered. He also talked about hefty electricity bills to be paid by the farmers in a situation when the government was not purchasing their produce at the right price. The speaker warned of a severe wheat crisis ahead if the farmers’ problems are not addressed. He said he had also talked to the Food Minister who was also convinced that famers’ concerns should be addressed. 

Earlier, Opposition leader Ah­mad Khan Bacchar drew the gov­ernment’s attention towards ar­rests of famers and alleged raids in houses of famers’ leaders. He said arrests began a day before the peaceful protests. He said the government was not seri­ous about buying wheat from the famers. He also criticized the gov­ernment for its decision to open inter-provincial borders saying that it would facilitate hoarding. The Opposition leader demand­ed that emergency should be declared for purchasing wheat while flour mills and interme­diaries should not be allowed to buy wheat from the farmers at concessional rates. Ahmed Khan also called for inquiry over the federal government’s deci­sion to import wheat when suf­ficient stocks were available in the country. Also, the Opposition members walked out from the Assembly and staged a sit-in on the Assembly stairs to express solidarity with the farmers. Lat­er, they joined the Assembly pro­ceedings after getting assurance from the ruling party MPA Sami Ullah Khan that the speaker will allow debate on the wheat policy inside the House.