Pakistan farmers protest, burn effigy of PM Imran Khan over high fertiliser prices, power tariff

Hundreds of farmers gathered in Pakistan's Multan district and burnt an effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and raised slogans against the provincial and the federal governments for not fulfilling the promises made to them.

The Pakistan Kisan Ittehad has held a three-hour-long demonstration at Rangu Pull Khanewal-Multan Road to mobilise farmers for the wider agitation against the provincial government.

A large number of farmers participated in the peaceful demonstration that is part of a series of protests being staged in different districts of Punjab before the final agitation planned for federal capital for the availability of fertilisers at a controlled rate and bringing down power tariff for farmers, Dawn reported.

The PKI has yet to announce the date for its Islamabad protest. The farmers' agitation has been entitled "Bezuban Janwar and Bebas Kisan March".

Chaudhry Rizwan, the PKI provincial president and Khalid Mahmood Khokar its central president, addressed the protesters, including farmers from different villages of Khanewal and Multan district.

Quoting Khokar, Dawn reported that they would march on Islamabad along with farmers and demonstrations were being held in districts to mobilise the participants.

He said the protesters were demanding that power tariff for agricultural use should be fixed at Rs 5.35 per unit, besides DAP rate between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 and Urea fertiliser rate at Rs 1,768 per bag in the open market, according to Dawn.

He lamented that fertilisers and pesticides were not being provided to the farmers at controlled rates. He said the farmers must also be provided agriculture machinery at subsidised prices.

(ANI)