SWABI: Growers in a convention here on Sunday demanded of the federal and provincial governments to buy them modern farming tools to help boost yield of various crops and vegetables and improve their financial condition.

The convention was organised by Kisan Board (KB), a wing of farmers associated with Jamaat-i-Islami.

The participants said funds provided by the successive governments for uplifting the agriculture sector often ended up in the pockets of landlords, as a result, the poor farmers were further pushed into poverty.

The farmers said some tobacco purchasing companies had sold Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium to the agreement holders at Rs4,200 per bag against its market price of Rs2,900.

They pointed out that the companies had threatened the farmers of cancelling their agreements if they did not purchase the fertiliser.

Shaukat Ali, KB’s central president, said the successive governments had done very little for boosting agriculture. He said the government had announced numerous packages to protect the industrialists.

Ibrarullah, provincial president of Mazdoor Labour Federation, said the government should announce incentives for the growers and ensure that the same reached to them.

Rizwanullah, provincial president of KB, said the government should provide quality seed to the growers during the upcoming season of wheat cultivation to help boost its yield. He said the farmers should not be left at the mercy of exploitative companies.

TWO KILLED: A man was slaughtered over a minor issue in Gar village of Maneri Bala union council.

SHO Farooq Khan told Dawn that son of the deceased got registered an FIR, stating that Waseem Khan and his father, Saad Laiq Shah, slaughtered his father, Raham Sher, while he was sleeping in his hujra. He said cause of the incident was snatching of cell phone. In Maneri Payyan region, Mohammad Uzair, 18, drowned in Pehur High Level Canal while taking bath on Sunday, Rescue 1122 officials said.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested a man for killing his father-in-law from Tarnol, Punjab.

DSP Swabi Noorul Amin Khan told Dawn that Abdullah, a resident of Topi, had allegedly shot dead his father-in-law, Haider Khan of Lalu Dheri Bamkhel on Oct 28, 2017. He had gone underground but the police traced him using the modern techniques.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2020