Farmers give ultimatum to Punjab govt over wheat procurement

LAHORE: Representatives of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad on Friday issued a one-week ultimatum, demanding the Punjab government to procure their wheat.

The farmers had taken to the streets against an inordinate delay in the purchase of wheat and the decision to reduce the provincial procurement quota from over 4 million tonnes to 2.3m tonnes.

Addressing a press conference, Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath condemned the baton charge and arrests of farmers on April 29 – declaring it a ‘black day’ for them.

Terming their demands ‘legitimate’, the Kissan Ittehad said they were giving a one-week ultimatum to the Punjab government to procure their wheat or face ‘strong protest’.

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Khalid Hussain warned that if the government fails to purchase wheat from farmers, they will block railway tracks and national highways in protest. The union also demanded that free solar facilities be provided to farmers in Balochistan. INP