Pakistan: Police arrests several farmers amid protests against wheat procurement policy

Islamabad [Pakistan]: As farmers in Pakistan's Punjab reached The Mall to hold a protest against what they termed to be an unfair wheat procurement policy, a heavy contingent of Punjab Police in anti-riot gear rounded up scores of them on Monday, Dawn reported.

Police blocked the road by placing containers and arrested several protesters. The farmers had taken to the streets against delay in the purchase of grain and the decision to reduce the provincial procurement quota from over 4 million tonnes to 2.3 million tonnes.

Speaking to Dawn, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan General Secretary Mian Umair Masood, who led the protest, said that over 250 farmers were arrested by police in Lahore. He, however, managed to evade arrest himself.

Reports have claimed that arrests were also made in Khanewal, Vehari, Kasur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Sadiqabad, Pakpattan, Muzaffargarh, and Sahiwal districts.

Police sources have claimed that 46 protesters were taken into custody, 30 from The Mall and 16 from Manga Mandi. Mian Umair said they were planning to block highways in Punjab with the help of their families and livestock.

The opposition, particularly the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Jammat-i-Islami, as well as lawmakers from the treasury benches, have offered support to the protesting farmers.

Punjab procured over four million tonnes of wheat every season to meet its yearly needs. However, the authorities have decided to reduce the procurement target by half, stressing that there was a carryover stock of 2.3 million tonnes already available.

Pakistan's caretaker government overseeing the elections had imported around 3 million tonnes of wheat, which has more than the province's needs and resulted in a huge carryover stock leaving little storage capacity, according to Dawn report.

(ANI)