KASUR: Hundreds of sugarcane growers staged a protest demonstration against mill owners and blocked Multan Road and railway tracks near Pattoki bypass on Sunday.

The protesters threw traffic out of gear, causing a great deal of inconvenience for motorists. There were long queues of vehicles while two ambulances were also stuck in traffic jam due to the protest.

Various trains from the Pattoki railway station could not depart for their destinations, as the agitators occupied the tracks.

Two ambulances found stuck in protest against millers

Quarrels erupted between the protesters and the commuters while the highway police and the local administration could not clear the road for about six hours despite several rounds of dialogue. The protest that started at about 2pm is in progress till the filing of the report at 8.30pm.

A heavy contingent of police had reached to calm down the protesters and to avoid any untoward situation.

A large number of farmers under the platform of Kisan Ittehad Pakistan gathered near Pattoki bypass against what they called exploitation of sugarcane growers by millers. They blocked the road by burning tyres.

Speaking on the occasion, they said the mill owners were [allegedly] exploiting the sugarcane growers and were offering them Rs140 per 40 kilo instead of Rs180 that was the last year’s price. They also demanded a price of Rs 250 per 40 kg.

They said the inordinate delay in the purchase of sugarcane on one pretext or the other had passed the crushing season. They said owing to delay in the purchase of sugarcane, the wheat sowing season had also been delayed, causing a financial blow to the farmers. They said the mill owners were yet to pay Rs450 million dues pending for the last couple of years.

The protesters also occupied the railway tracks as a result several trains, including 1-Down Khyber Mail at Renala Khurd, 40-Down Jaffer Express at Pattoki, 304-Down Business Express at Changa Manga, 116-Down Mosa Pak Express at Kot Radha Kishan and 16-Down Karachi Express at Lahore railway stations were waiting for clearance signal.

Traffic from Lahore to Pattoki on Multan Road and Habibabad flyover and Jamber was completely jammed.

THIEF HELD: People caught a suspected woman thief at Pattoki main bazaar and handed her over to police on Sunday while her three accomplices managed their escape.

Police said suspect Sughran snatched hand bag from Safia Bibi in Pattoki main bazaar. On raising an alarm by Safia, some passers-by chased the woman and caught her. Three accomplices -- a woman and two men - of her managed their escape.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017