Islamabad [Pakistan], April 18 : Protests swept across more than 100 cities in Pakistan on Friday after the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee issued a nationwide call to mark the International Day of Peasant Struggles, as reported by Dawn.
According to the Pakistani media outlet, farmers mobilised in large numbers to oppose what they described as anti-farmer policies and to demand urgent reforms to protect their livelihoods.
Dawn reported that protesters called for fixing the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat at PKR 4,000 per maund. They rejected corporate farming practices and demanded the withdrawal of eviction notices issued to tenant farmers. The report further noted that demonstrators opposed the government's plan to outsource wheat procurement to 11 private firms, warning that such a move would marginalise small growers.
The news outlet reported that large-scale protests were witnessed across Punjab, including in Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, and Sargodha. In Sindh, demonstrations were held in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, and Thatta, reflecting widespread discontent, the report added.
According to Dawn, rallies were also organised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities such as Peshawar, Swat, Abbottabad, and Bannu, while in Balochistan, protests were reported in Quetta, Mastung, and Kalat. The coverage highlighted a growing nationwide mobilisation among farmers.
Addressing a gathering in Lahore, PKRC General Secretary Riffat Maqsood criticised the government's performance, stating that its two-year tenure had been "highly damaging" for farmers. As cited by the media outlet, she accused authorities of neglecting rural communities and prioritising corporate interests over small-scale cultivators.
Farmer groups warned, as highlighted in the report, that continued inaction could deepen the agrarian crisis and trigger more intense protests in the coming months. The coverage underscored rising frustration among Pakistan's farming community, which continues to grapple with escalating input costs, unstable crop prices, and climate-related challenges.
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