NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, Jan 13: The growers and Nazimeen here on Monday foiled a self-immolation attempt by a farmer and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, Ghulam Asghar Abbasi.

He had attempted the self-immolation to protest against non-payment of the government-fixed price for sugarcane by the owners sugar mills.

Abbasi, the Muttahida’s defeated candidate from NA-211 in the October elections, had announced two days back that he would commit self-immolation against the attitude of sugar mill owners.

On Monday, carrying a one-litre bottle of kerosene, he reached outside the Naushahro Feroze press club.

As soon as he sprinkled kerosene on his body and took out a match stick to put himself on fire, the district president of Abadgar Welfare Board, Ashfaq Ahmed Taggar; Phul union council Nazim Abdul Waheed Abbasi; Ghair Gajo UC Nazim Abdul Fattah, Naib Nazim Haji Mirza and a grower, Ghulam Hussain, prevented him from lighting match stick and foiled his bid of self-immolation.

On the occasion, Abbasi appealed to growers to intensify the protest campaign against sugar mills.

Ghulam Hussain said that the government was responsible for the crisis of sugarcane purchase as it had imported sugar in 2002, as a result sugar stock of local mills had remained unsold.

He said that on the pretext, sugar mills were not starting sugarcane crushing even after passage of two months to a notification of the Sindh government in this regard.

The police were present on the occasion to avert any untoward incident.