Farmers continue protest

LAHORE :Protesting in the provincial metropolis, farmers mainly hailing from Southern Punjab have demanded reopening of three sugar mills that have been shut on court order.

Hundreds of members of the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI), Tuesday blocked Multan Road and Motorway near Thokar Niaz Baig on their second day of the protest. Later, many protesters managed to gather outside Punjab Assembly and staged a sit-in there till late evening. A huge traffic mess as a result of long queues of vehicles was witnessed, creating immense problems for the commuters.

Farmers started their march toward the provincial metropolis from Southern Punjab on Monday evening to raise their voice for releasing Rs30 billion pending against sugar mills owners. They demanded continuation of subsidy for farmers on different accounts.

Large contingent of police did not allow protesting farmers to march in the city, blocking their entry at Thokar Niaz Baig. Chaudhry Anwar, President of his own faction of PKI alleged that an influential central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was behind closure of sugar mills in Southern Punjab, terming it an anti-farmer act. He claimed that the PTI leader wanted to make billions by running his mill through buying sugarcane from the farmers at throw-away prices. He vowed that they would not end their protest until acceptance of their demands.

In the evening, Punjab Law Minister after meeting PKI leaders said the Punjab government had accepted the farmers demands about presenting a resolution in provincial assembly and would also consider to become party in the court proceeding regarding closure of sugar mills.

However, after holding a round of talks with Punjab Law Minister, Chaudhry Anwar said negotiations with law minister could not succeed as he was not a reliable person. We will only hold talks with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, he said, adding we will continue our peaceful protest outside Punjab Assembly if our de­mands are not met.

Later, PKI leaders announced ending their protest for the time being as the chief minister had showed willingness in meeting them today (Wednesday). On the other hand, Khalid Khokhar, Chairman of another PKI group alleged that three sugar mills owned by former prime minister and his relatives were responsible for the farmers’ protest against the Lahore High Court verdict.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Khalid Khokhar claimed that the managements of three sugar mills managed farmers’ protest against the LHC orders, which declared relocation of mills to the South Punjab illegal.

The Chaudhry Anwar group took money for holding this protest, he alleged. He said these sugar mills are defaulters of billions of rupees of farmers. He said his group would not become part of any protest that had been launched due to political leaning.