Kissan Ittehad announces to end Islamabad sit-in

ISLAMABAD: Kissan Ittehad head Khalid Hussain Batth has announced to end Islamabad sit-in after successful negotiations with the federal government, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The protesting farmers will start dispersing from the sit-in venue in Islamabad at 10:00.

The Kissan Ittehad chairman praised the responsible reporting of ARY News during their Islamabad sit-in and said that farmers were indebted to ARY News for becoming the voice of the farmers.

Batth expressed hope that the federal government will meet the demands of the farmers.

‘Kissan Package in 10 days’

Rana Sanaullah said in a statement that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is going to unveil Kissan [farmers] Package within 10 days to provide relief to the farmers.

“Kissan Ittehad had requested to defer electricity bills. Following farmers’ request, PM Sharif issued directives to the energy secretary to end fuel charge adjustment (FCA) from the electricity bills.”

He said that the farmers’ sit-in was peaceful, hence the government dealt with them peacefully.

The interior minister further said, “PM constituted a committee to mull over other demands of the farmers. We believe if the farmer is prosperous than Pakistan will be prosperous. We will address all issues to the farmers.”

He confirmed that the government accepted the demands of deferred electricity bills, an instalment plan and the removal of FCA. He added that a three-member ministerial committee was formed to mull over the demands tabled by Kissan Ittehad delegation.

Sanaullah thanked Kissan Ittehad head Khalid Hussain Batth and his aides for holding successful talks.

‘Legitimate demands will be accepted’

Earlier, a delegation of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) arrived at the sit-in venue of farmers to express solidarity. The PPP delegation, led by Qamar Zaman Kaira, was also comprised of Faisal Karim Kundi and Chaudhry Manzoor.

“We have arrived here to express solidarity with farmers,” Kaira said. “People’s Party in each of its tenure, has improved the condition of farmers and the labourers,” Kaira said. “The party faces slurs of ‘being a party of farmers and labourers’,” PPP leader said.

“Unfortunately, despite being an agriculture-based economy, we are importing agricultural commodities,” he said. He proposed subsidies on fertilizer, seeds and DAP.

“The PPP has enhanced support price of wheat during its every tenure. The country was exporting wheat and sugar during the People’s Party rule,” he said.

“A nation could not be independent in its real sense, if it is not economically independent,” Kaira said. “We assure that all legitimate demands of farmers will be accepted,” he said. “A delegation of farmers going to meet the prime minister today,” he said.

“How the farmers will run their tube wells with expensive electricity,” he questioned.

“While forming this government, we had made very difficult decisions and also suffered political losses owing to these decisions,” he said. “Prices of all commodities including petroleum products have soared due to these difficult decisions,” he added.