QUETTA: Members of Kissan Ittehad Pakistan (KIP) staged a token hunger strike outside the Quetta Press Club on Monday, demanding acceptance of their 15-point charter of demands submitted to the government.
Addressing a press conference, KIP Chairman Khalid Hussain Bathh announced that the strike would continue until the government accepted and implemented their demands related to growers and landowners affected since 2022. Despite repeated requests, he regretted, the government had not taken steps to resolve their issues.
“We are once again presenting our 15-point charter of demands,” Mr Bathh said, adding that a hunger strike camp had been established outside the press club. He warned that if the authorities ignored their demands, the token strike could be converted into a general hunger strike.
He criticised the Balochistan government for failing to provide solar energy systems to growers and zamindars despite promises. Instead, he said, Quetta Electric Supply Company had been disconnecting their power connections.
Mr Bathh demanded that the government allocate funds to growers and zamindars for the solarisation of agricultural tube-wells. He also called for the restoration of Rabi canal tube-well connections in Manjoshori, Nasirabad, and the resumption of power supply in Harnai and Kuchlak.
Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2025
