LAHORE, Sept 13: The Kissan Board of Pakistan on Saturday staged a demonstration against the World Trade Organization outside the Press Club, describing it as death sentence for the local farmers and industrialists.

The board threatened to extend demonstration throughout the country, if the government failed to win concessions for them in the WTO talks.

They had held banners and placards inscribed with slogans and their demands. Some of them read: “WTO is agenda of Jewish lobby, WTO is new wealth transfer order, and the US occupation of agriculture sector is unacceptable.”

Fearing hegemony of heavily subsidized American and European farm products during the WTO regime, they demanded the government that it should ensure certain level of subsidy for the local farmers as well as time relief during the free trade talks so that the local industry could bring it on par with advanced countries.

Criticizing the growing influence of unelected advisers to the chief minister in the policy-making, they demanded active role of provincial ministers of agriculture, irrigation and food in solving their problems.