SWABI, Aug 7: The tobacco growers associations will file a writ petition in the Peshawar High Court today (Monday) against Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) for its ‘flagrant violations’ of the tobacco marketing laws and other rules while setting the cost of production for the current year.

Ismail Jan Khan, provincial general secretary of Anjuman-i-Kashtkaran, told Dawn here on Sunday that unions of the tobacco growers, including Anjuman-i-Kashtkaran, Aiwan-i-Zaraat, Kisan Board, Kashtkaran Tobacco and Ittehad Kashtkaran, had selected him to file the writ petition against the PTB. Leaders of other unions were also with him.

Mr Ismail said thousands of people had been earning their livelihood in this field but the PTB had victimised them, giving undue advantage to the tobacco purchasing companies.

In reply to a question he alleged the PTB had violated the tobacco law by allowing the companies to purchase tobacco from growers according to the rates of 2010 despite the fact that cost of production had increased manifold in 2011.

“It is a clear negation of our rights and we will oppose the move at the court of law”, vowed Ismail Jan.

Mr Ismail Jan said the leaders of the growers unions had visited the PTB office at Hayatabad, Peshawar, pleading that the rates should be rationalised but the officials did not take any interest, adopting dodging tactics.

“The PTB has been running without chairman and all the decisions about the fate of the growers are made by other officials”, he complained.

Mr Ismail said the 1968 Ordinance said that the rates determined by the PTB should be approved by the federal government.

However, the PTB officials did not seek approval from the government thus violating the ordinance. “Section 8 of the ordinance is quite clear about the required approval,” he said, adding, “We have all the documents with us which would be presented in the Peshawar High Court.”

He said leaders of the growers had made all out efforts to reach an out-of-court settlement, but the violations of tobacco laws and rigid stand of the PTB officials forced them to go to the court.