LAHORE: Farmers from across the country have decided to hold a joint demonstration here to raise the issues being faced by them.

The date for the demonstration would be announced soon after mutual consultations of the farmers’ organisations.

This was stated by Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee Secretary General Farooq Tariq at the concluding session of the ‘Federal Policy Dialogue on Land Ownership and Food Security’ here on Thursday.

In an online address to the session, Country Programme Officer of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Pakistan Fida Muhammad apprised the participants of the efforts and cooperation of his organisation in improving the condition of small farmers in Pakistan.

He said the IFAD was working with the central and provincial governments to provide loans and trainings at very low interest rates to improve the condition of farmers. He believed that the success of any scheme required putting the community in the driving seat.

Prof Zaigham Abbas stressed the need for launching a campaign against the power generation plants causing air pollution. He said alternative sources of energy should be used to save the natural ecosystem.

President of his own faction of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, Chaudhry Anwar, urged the farmers to unite for getting their issues resolved.

Haqooq-i-Khalq Movement leader Dr Ammar Jan criticised the incumbent rulers for making policies to benefit only the land grabbers and mafias. He said his outfit would present an alternative plan at a public meeting at Mochi Gate on April 10.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2021