QUETTA: Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (KIP) Chairman Khalid Hussain Bathh on Sunday condemned the registration of FIRs against protesting farmers in Nasirabad, who he said were peacefully advocating for their demands.

During a press conference with Arya Hoorain and Raza Muhammad Khilji, he called for the immediate withdrawal of cases and the release of those detained.

“Otherwise, the KIP will initiate demonstrations in Kulchak, Nasirabad, Lakpass, Khuzdar, and other areas,” Mr Bathh warned.

He urged the federal and provincial governments to announce wheat support prices before the sowing season to enable farmers to cultivate more land.

Mr Bathh pressed the Balochistan government to form a committee with KIP representatives to review the transition of tube wells to solar power and assess the funds disbursed so far.

“Until then, farmers’ electricity connections should not be disconnected,” he said.

On farmers’ issues, he said, “Paddy crops have dried up, and vegetables have also been destroyed. The stubbornness and incompetence of the provincial irrigation minister have caused billions in damages.”

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2025