Global peasant day marked by nationwide protests

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 A farmer harvests wheat crops in a field on the outskirts of Lahore.—AFP
A farmer harvests wheat crops in a field on the outskirts of Lahore.—AFP

LAHORE: Protest demonstrations were organised in more than 100 cities across the country at the call of the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (PKRC) to mark the Inter­national Day of Peasant Struggles on Friday.

The protesters dema­n­ded that the minimum support price of wheat be fixed at Rs4,000 per maund, corporate farming be abolished, eviction notices issued to tenant farmers be withdrawn and the plan to procure wheat through 11 private companies be scrapped.

According to the PKRC, in Punjab, demonstrations were held in Lahore, Bah­awalpur, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khanewal, Kabir­w­­ala, Kacha Khooh, Jaha­nian, Iqbal Nagar, Sahi­wal, Sargodha, Bhakkar, Pakpattan, Arifwala, Veh­ari, Hasilpur, Multan, Kot Addu, Qadirabad, Chish­tian, and Burewala.

In Sindh, protests took place in Shikarpur, Suk­k­­ur, Tando Allah Yar, Sak­rand, Nawabshah, Moro, Naushahro Feroze, Qazi Ahmed, Ghotki, Mirpur­khas, Badin, Hyderabad, Shahdadkot, Nagar­par­kar, Sanghar, Thatta, and Larkana.

In Khyber Pakhtun­kh­­wa, demonstrations were held in Peshawar, Kohat, Charsadda, Malakand, Sw­­abi, Buner, Nowshera, Mohmand, Swat, Bajaur, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Ma­­nsehra, Abbottabad, Ta­­kht Bhai, Bannu, Karak, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, and Dera Ismail Khan.

In Balochistan, the PKRC added, protests were orga­nised in Qila Abdullah, Naseerabad, Jhal Magsi, Quetta, Mastung, Jaffar­abad, Usta Muhammad, Sohbatpur, and Kalat.

Addressing the gathering in Lahore, PKRC General Secretary Riffat Maqsood said the current government’s two years in power had been extremely harmful for farmers.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2026

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