KASUR: Hundreds of club-wielding farmers staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday against what they called the government’s failure to provide relief to their community.

The farmers shouted “Go Nawaz Go” and announced joining Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri in Islamabad after Eid.

Led by PKI Kanganpur Sub-Division President Muhammad Yahya, about 500 farmers gathered near Kashmir Chowk on Main Ferozepur Road under the banner of the Pakistan Kisan Ittehad and blocked one side of the dual carriageway with tractor-trolleys and vans. They were carrying placards and clubs. They chanted anti-government and anti-Nawaz and Shahbaz slogans.

The farmers said the government had failed to deliver and were ruling the country to plunder national wealth. They said no religious or political party had taken serious steps to save the agriculture sector that was on the verge of a collapse.

They demanded seats for farmers in the parliament so that they could bring forth their problems. They also demanded to abolish all taxes on pesticides, fertilizers and agricultural machinery. They also called for reducing electricity price, elimination of GST and FPA and demanded subsidies, like other countries, on electricity bills.

The protesters asked the rulers to fix prices of rice, cotton and corn crops to save farmers from being exploited. They also demanded fair distribution of canal water and alleged influential and big land owners stole their share of water. Provision of easy loans and insurance of crops was also demanded.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after three hours.

BAHAWALNAGAR: A number of farmers on Wednesday demonstrated at Sutlej Bridge to highlight their economic issues.

The farmers gathered under the banner of ‘Kisan Ittehad’ and protested “low rates of cotton, overbilling of electricity bills and registration of cases against farmers under the Anti-Terrorism Act”.

They said the government had fixed Rs2,200 per 40kg cotton rate which was insufficient to meet the expenses incurred on their produce. They demanded that the government fix Rs4,000 per 40kg for the survival of the growers.

They lamented electricity overbilling and demanded rectification at the earliest.

They also called for withdrawal of cases against farmers warning that otherwise they would launch a countrywide protest movement.

The protesters threw traffic out of gear on Bahawalnagar-Arifwala Road for more than two hours.

SAHIWAL: Up to 300 farmers from Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan districts with the activists of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad (PKI) blocked Lahore-Multan Road near Qadirabad for two hours on Wednesday.

They demanded that the government fix the support price of crops besides the withdrawal of GST on electricity bills for tubewells.

Police tried to negotiate with them, but protesters refused to talk to them. By 7pm, the road blockade was going on. They said unless the government accept their demands, they would not end the road blockade.

BAHAWALPUR: The farming community of Bahawalpur and Lodhran districts jointly demonstrated and blocked the Karachi-Lahore highway near Chumb Kuliar.

They demanded higher prices of cotton and sugar, reduction in electricity bills of tube-wells and protested against inflated bills.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd , 2014