LAHORE: The Punjab government has been urged to strictly ban establishment of residential schemes and industries on agricultural lands.

Tehrik-i-Istaqlal president Rehmat Khan Wardag claims that between 20 to 30 per cent of fertile agricultural land in Punjab has been converted into residential colonies and industrial estates during the last two decades, jeopardising the efforts to make the province the “food basket of Pakistan” and ensure food security of the country.

Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, he says that in Punjab’s capital Lahore alone around 70pc of the farmland has been taken over by housing societies and industrial units and the rest is safe from such activities only because of being located near the Indian border.

Flanked by Aftab Wardag, Khan Afsar and Qasim Ali Shah, he said the situation was not different, particularly in Gujrat, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Kasur districts as more and more fertile land is being converted into residential areas without any planning.

He demanded a strict ban on conversion of the agricultural land into housing colonies or industrial estates and introducing vertical housing in the cities, while shifting the industrial units to non-cultivable areas like Thal desert.

He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately convene a farmers’ conference to seek their input for agricultural development and evolving and implementing a farming policy as per their suggestions.

Mr Wardag also sought a vigorous action against manufacturers and sellers of spurious fertilisers and pesticides and provision of quality seed to the farmers for enhancing per acre production.

This, he said, would not only lead to improved incomes for the farming community, but also help alleviate rural poverty, besides provision of agricultural produce to the urban consumers at affordable rates.

He advised Shehbaz government against victimising political rivals and asked him to allow the PTI to hold political meetings. He also urged the prime minister to extend a hand of reconciliation to Dr Tahirul Qadri and resolve the issue of Model Town tragedy in consultation with the latter for promoting political harmony in the country.

Published in Dawn,May 7th, 2022