LAHORE: Paddy growers have begun a protest campaign against booking of their colleagues in stubble burning cases.

Led by Kissan Board Pakistan, the first demonstration was held in Hafizabad and the participants marched through various roads of the town carrying placards and banners inscribed with the slogans like “imposition of fine on paddy residue burning unacceptable”, “end black-marketing of fertiliser”, and “abolish heavy taxation on power bills.”

Speaking to the demonstrators, KBP central vice president Amanullah Chattha said that the government was forcibly restricting the farmers from sowing wheat by booking in cases of burning paddy residue.

Say it can lead to unrest among farming community and wheat crisis

Warning that the measure could lead to unrest among the farming community and a wheat crisis in the country, he said that a protest movement had been launched against the policy as demonstrations would be taken out in other towns and cities of the province too.

He lamented that the government was ignoring the environment degradation being caused by hazardous emissions from chimneys of factories and brick kilns and engines of poorly-maintained buses.

Similarly, burning of civic refuse by general public and sanitation staff as well as setting ablaze of tyres by protesters was also going on without any let and hindrance but the growers were being challaned for getting rid of heavy loads of stubble to prepare lands in time for wheat plantation.

He advised the government to put an end to the use of state apparatus against the farming community and avoid creating harassment among them otherwise the country could plunge into a food security crisis.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2022