Senate refers Okara farms issue to HR committee

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the Senate Thursday called on the government to accord priority to the crisis-ridden agriculture sector, as Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani referred the issue of alleged use of brute force against the peasants of Okara farmlands to the Human Rights Committee for report.

MQM’s Muhammad Ali Saif raised the issue of dates, donated by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for consumption of poor segments of the society during the month of Ramazan, saying it had arrived many days back but yet to be distributed and feared it might perish even before the fasting month starts.

The issue came up during discussion on an adjournment motion moved by PTI Senator Azam Swati on the continued neglect by the government of the farming sector and the growing frustration and unrest among the farmers.

Taking the floor, Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the farmers were suffering and agricultural sector declining because the state’s callous attitude towards the farmers. “The state has not only neglected the farming community but is also doing nothing to stop the powerful sections from dispossessing farmers from their land he said and recalled the use of brute force against the farmers of Okara military farmlands last month,” he charged.

He said that Okara peasants only wanted to highlight their grievances by observing the International Peasants Day on April 17, 2016 but the state fearing that it will expose how their lands are being grabbed retaliated by arresting the unarmed villagers and charging them with terrorism.

“It is sad that anti terror laws have been used to stifle dissent and curb farmers’ voice, he said and asked how can farming prosper in such an environment,” he maintained. He also expressed apprehensions that the villagers may also be tried in military courts. If the anti terror laws have been pressed against the villagers there is serious apprehension that the farmers may even be tried in military courts.

He said his apprehensions were based on reports that the general secretary of the Anjuman Mazareen Punjab (AMP) has been shifted from Sahiwal jail to a military cantonment and demanded their release.

Babar called for revising the wheat support price and giving incentives to farmers to increase production and save them from ruination.

 “This however, requires empathy towards the agriculture sector and farmers and realization that food security was linked to the prosperity and well being of farming community which the ruling elite is incapable of demonstrating,” he said.

Senators Azam Swati, independent Senator Mohsin Leghari, Ilyas Bilour of ANP, PML-N’s Saud Majeed, JI’s Sirjul Haq, PML-Functional Muzaffar Hussain Shah and Usman Kakar of PkMAP strongly pleaded for ensuring support price of wheat to farmers and due payment to other growers for their crops.

They also urged the government to take steps for bringing down production cost of crops, as presently farmers were facing the question of survival with their production coming down and rural population migrating to urban areas in hope of livelihood.

Senators urged the government of Punjab to pay attention to genuine concerns of the protesting farmers instead of crushing their voice: bring down prices of inputs, provide subsidised electricity and ensure easy access to credit to them.

It was noted that for the last three years, the share of farm economy in the GDP was shrinking constantly with no sign of its reversal. They strongly opposed import of cotton lint from India, fearing this would play havoc with local farmers and noted that enough cotton bails were already available.

Winding up the debate, Minister for National Food Security Sikandar Bossan said he wanted reduction in farm-related taxes and fixing support price of wheat close to its rate in the world market.  He complained provinces were not cooperating with regards to implementation of the Kissan Package, adding provinces had also cut down investment in agriculture sector.

The minister said he was striving for a farmer-friendly budget to revive farming sector’s share in GDP and also halt rural population’s migration to cities and towns. Bossan said he had sent a summary to the Prime Minister on the issue of placing cotton under the Ministry of Commerce, originally being his ministry’s subject.

The Senate chairman turned down a request by PML-N's Ghous Bakhsh Niazi to table a resolution for increase in the salary package of senators on the pattern of one adopted by the National Assembly earlier in the day. The House also adopted a unanimous resolution, moved by the Leader of the House, Raja Muhammad

Zafarul Haq, calling for regular meetings of the Council of Common Interests within stipulated period and establishment of its permanent secretariat here. The resolution urged for early holding of the national census, well before the next general election, regularly taking up water--related issues by the council and asked the chief ministers to vigorously pursue issues of their respective provinces at the body meetings.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar presented an interim report of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms in the Senate, along with the bill: The Twenty-Second Amendment Act, 2016. The bill is most likely to be put for voting Friday and the 248th session will also be most likely prorogued same day.

He said the Election Commission members would complete their term of office on June 10 and if the House did not accord approval this bill, the electoral body would become 'dysfunctional'.