SWABI: Tobacco growers on Thursday warned that they would demonstrate against the Pakistan Tobacco Board for “failing” to work for their welfare and promoting the interests of tobacco purchasing companies.

The warning was issued during a meeting of the Tehreek-i-Ittehad Kashtakaran Pakhtunkhawa’s cabinet that was presided over by TIKP chairman Arif Ali Khan.

The other participants included general secretary of the organisation Asfandyar Khan, joint secretary Shahab Khan, senior vice-chairman Dawood Jan Khan Ismaila, vice-chairman Iqbal Khan Shewa, and leader Ahmad Jan Kaka Marghuz.

The participants said in the first phase, public meetings would be held in Charsadda, Mardan, Buner, Mansehra, Swabi and other tobacco producing districts, while the second phase would witness sit-ins and street protests outside the PTB premises as well as parliament and offices of the Federal Board of Revenue and finance ministry in Islamabad.

They rejected a 14 per cent reduction in tobacco quota of companies for the current year.

The participants also said tobacco companies were bound by the law to spend at least six percent of their profits on the welfare and development of tobacco producing areas and farmers, so records should be produced to declare that expenditure. They also called for the abolition of the contractual employment system for workers in tobacco and other factories and said jobs of workers should beprotected under labour laws.

Meanwhile, Nazir Khan, a resident of Afghan refugee camp Gandaf, has claimed that his three sons and a neighbour were picked up by the police two months ago and their whereabouts had not been known since then.

He urged the chief minister, police chief and Swabi district police officer to intervene for the production of those detainees in the court of law.

Mr Khan told reporters at the Swabi Press Club that the police arrested him, his sons, including Salman Khan, 20, Usman Khan, 18 and Farman Khan, 15, and neighbour Subhan Allah over Rs40 million robbery at a poultry farm but freed him on condition that he won’t disclose torture of his sons.

He said hissons should be produced in the court of law otherwise he would move higher courts for justice.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2025