SWABI, Aug 24: The protesting tobacco growers set fire to their produce on Sunday in the Kernel Sher chowk and vowed that the torching of tobacco would continue till the meeting of their demands.

Observing the hunger strike on the seventh consecutive day, the growers said this movement would also be extended to the other tobacco growing areas of the NWFP.

The growers are protesting against what they termed the exploitative tactics of the Pakistan Tobacco Company, Lakson Tobacco Company and small cigarette manufactures.

Ittehad-i-Kashtkaran Swabi (IKS) President Arif Ali Khan and other protesters had brought tobacco bales to the Kernel Sher Chowk while raising slogans against the companies and Pakistan Tobacco Board. Later, Mr Arif told the growers to set their tobacco on fire. They also torched their produce on Saturday.

Mr Arif said the companies continued the growers’ exploitation, alleging that both the big tobacco firms gave much more importance to the tobacco dealers and influential class and ignored peasants.

He announced that the torching of tobacco would continue and on Aug 25 (today), a big protest meeting would be held at the Kernel Sher chowk. The growers of Mardan, Buner, Nowshera and Jehangira had held out assurance to participate in the meeting.

Meanwhile, MNA Mohammad Usman, Tehsil Nazim Masood Jabbar, Swabi Independent Group President Muqarab Khan and a number of Nazims visited the hunger strikers on Sunday and extended their support.