Kisan Ittehad Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath has declared that farmers will initiate a long march from Quetta to Islamabad on Friday, September 25, to press for their demands. The march is set to commence at 3pm from the Quetta Press Club, with thousands expected to join from across Balochistan.
Bath anticipates that the number of protesters will swell to hundreds of thousands by the time the march reaches Islamabad. He emphasized that the farmers’ demands are justified, highlighting their role in supporting the country’s security and stability through their work.
In his statement, Bath linked the surge in inflation, including rising petroleum prices, to the ongoing global conflict. He also questioned the importation of approximately 750,000 metric tonnes of wheat, suggesting it undermines local farmers.
Additionally, Bath pointed out that farmers continue to be billed for electricity transformers they had removed as a form of protest. Kisan Ittehad had previously announced plans for this long march, which will culminate in a demonstration outside Parliament House.
In a significant development, Bath held meetings with lawyers’ organizations in Balochistan, securing their support for the march. The Balochistan High Court Bar and other legal bodies pledged to back the farmers in their pursuit of solutions to their grievances.
Bath noted that despite repeated appeals to the government, farmers have yet to receive substantial relief. He raised concerns about the impact of smuggling from Afghanistan on the ready onion and tomato crops, which is harming local producers.
He also criticized the Punjab government’s decision three years ago to stop procuring wheat from Balochistan farmers, which he claims has resulted in losses amounting to around Rs4 trillion. Furthermore, Bath alleged that farmers are compelled to sell wheat at prices below their production costs.
Highlighting agriculture’s critical role in Pakistan’s economic progress, Bath stressed that Pakistani farmers face disadvantages compared to their Indian counterparts due to higher expenses, including electricity costs.
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