RAHIM YAR KHAN, Feb 25: Federal Agriculture Minister Khair Muhammad Junejo has called a meeting in Islamabad after taking a notice of the ultimatum given by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA).

This was stated by caretaker PCGA chairman Haji Muhammad Ibrahim while talking to newsmen here on Monday.

The PCGA had warned the government that it would not purchase cotton if the TCP did not buy the targeted 1 million bales of the ginned cotton.

Mr Ibrahim said the TCP was not implementing government’s instructions of purchasing cotton despite its season was about to over.

He said the APTMA was pressurising the TCP not to purchase cotton at the support price as the rates of the ginned cotton would go high.

If the TCP had not purchased cotton bails in commercial packing, the ginners would not be able to return money to farmers and banks, he added.

Earlier in the meeting, the PCGA members demanded that the government should direct the TCP to purchase cotton at the support price of Rs1,855 per 40 kg.

They also asked for Rs200 premium as promised while declaring Rahim Yar Khan as model district, free from cotton contamination.