Kissan Ittehad chairman highlights food security issue in Pakistan

MULTAN: Chairman Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI), Khalid Khokhar on Sunday highlighted that food security is currently the most pressing issue in Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference in Multan, Khokhar regretted that despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan is importing wheat and other commodities.

When our wheat was harvested, we were looted, he said, urging the Punjab government to refrain from increasing electricity bills until solar power is provided, Khokhar added.

He pointed out that in contrast to India, where electricity is free, Pakistani farmers cannot even pay their bills.

Chairman Pakistan Kissan Ittehad added that Pakistan’s irrigation system has been destroyed, while Indian farmers receive urea at 900 rupees compared to 4700 rupees in Pakistan.

He also mentioned that a 17% GST has been imposed on buffalo feed, and the price of cotton per maund is between 6000 to 7000 rupees, which is very low. He warned that wheat cultivation would decrease by 50% next year.

Khokhar questioned whether the government would save the 240 million people of Pakistan or merely 40 influential families.

Read more: “Shehbaz Sharif was Minister of Food Security during wheat imports”

He accused Independent Power Producers (IPPs) of looting the country and predicted that the five-kilometer-long queues for food today would extend to 20 kilometers next year.

Khalid Khokhar criticized the IPPs for hollowing out the country, noting that although 80% of IPPs are Pakistani, they still charge in dollars.

The chairman Kissan Ittehad announced plans to besiege the IPP owners and the government, highlighting that wheat farmers in Punjab have not been compensated and that rice prices are plummeting. He called for reducing production costs for farmers and stated that only the IPPs are being enriched in Pakistan.