The Farmers’ Union in Pakistan, Kissan Ittehad has announced a nationwide Farmers Protest on May 10 where farmers will take to the streets to express their plight against the ‘wheat mafia’ amid the wheat crisis in the country.
New Delhi: Farmers are the backbone of our nations, ones that provide us with food and unfortunately, in a lot of countries, it is the farmers who are extremely distressed and worried and are not given their dues. A couple of months after the Delhi Chalo Farmers Protest in India, a nationwide Farmers Protest has been announced in Pakistan, on May 10, 2024 by the Kissan Ittehad. The Chairman of Kissan Ittehad, Khalid Khokhar held a press conference regarding the same and highlighted the main reason for the protest; the farmer leader also said that this step is being taken after their concerns went unheard and that the protest is going to be a peaceful one. Why are the farmers of Pakistan protesting, what is the Pakistan Wheat Crisis, who are the Wheat Mafia and what will be the result of the protest, read to know everything in detail…
Nationwide Farmers Protest On May 10 In Pakistan
As mentioned earlier, the Farmers body, Kissan Ittehad on Sunday announced to begin countrywide protests from May 10 amid the wheat crisis in Pakistan, ARY News reported. Kissan Ittehad Chairman Khalid Khokhar told a press conference that farmers will march to the streets on May 10 to protest the government’s choice to import the crop rather than procure it from local farmers.
Farmer Leader Against ‘Wheat Mafia’
Khokar alleged corruption in wheat imports and said that those implicated should be executed. He said that the “wheat mafia” profited (PKR)100 billion from the imports, while Pakistan suffered a loss of almost USD1 billion. According to the farmer leader, the reserve rate of wheat was increased in an attempt to adjust the “wheat mafia.” The farmers produced large amounts of wheat, but they were deprived of their earnings because the authorities imported the grain, he claimed.
Pak PM, Army Chief, ISI Director General Refused To Help: Farmer Leader
The Kissan Ittehad chairman insisted that thousands of farmers will take to the streets to protest since the government had left them with no other option. According to Khalid Khokhar, the farmers approached the prime minister, army chief, director general of ISI, and minister of food security, but their concerns were not addressed, according to ARY News. He urged the civic society, media, attorneys, and business community to join the farmers’ protest too. Khokar asserted that the protest would be peaceful and would continue till the government decided to procure the commodity from the local farmers.
(Inputs from ANI)