LAHORE: Farmers have protested the failure of the government to export rice, a large quantity of which is lying in the country.

Chaudhry Nisar, Kissan Board Pakistan president, told a press conference on Monday the government had failed to put the agriculture department under the control of deputy commissioners.

He alleged that the step aimed at using thousands of workers of the department for political motives by the government in the next elections.

He was flanked by Shaukat Chadhar, Haji M Ramzan Arsalan Khakwani and others.

Safdar Naul, Haji Mukhtar, Manzoor Luk and other leaders of the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad on the occasion announced joining the KBP.

He also sought quashing all taxes on farm inputs, free electricity for agriculture tubewells, interest-free loans for small farmers and abolishing March 2012 notification of trade with India or they would stage sit-ins outside the assemblies.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2017