Caretaker govt responsible for wheat scandal during which wheat was imported: Liaqat Baloch

LAHORE, May 22 (SABAH): Naib Emir Jamaat-e-Islami, President of Haq Do Kisan Tehreek Liaqat Baloch has said that the caretaker government is responsible for the wheat scandal during which wheat was imported. Despite the presence of wheat stocks in the country and the upcoming bumper crop, farmers were killed by ordering wheat from abroad, he said and added farmers should not be cheated anymore in the name of aid package.

Liaqat Baloch expressed these views while addressing a meeting organized under “Haq Do Kisan Tehreek” through zoom link. Liaqat Baloch said that the caretaker government is responsible for the wheat crisis in the country. “We demand that despite the presence of abundant quantity of wheat in the country and the forthcoming bumper crop, those involved in the scandal of importing wheat from abroad should be exposed and punished,” he said. He said the Punjab government’s move of not buying wheat from farmers is condemnable and a big conspiracy against an agricultural country like Pakistan. Farmers will now also avoid growing cotton, rice and other major crops, which will result in a crop crisis in the country, he added.

He said the aid package of Rs 400 billion by the Punjab government is nothing but verbal claims and statements as so far, no explanation has come out regarding the method of distribution of this package to the farmers. He said that despite the fact that 70 percent of the country’s population is directly or indirectly involved in agriculture, the government is determined to kill the farmers instead of providing facilities for the development of agriculture. Due to the wrong policies of the bureaucracy and the commission mafia, today the farmer is in trouble, he added.

Liaqat Baloch said that Jamaat-e-Islami will not leave farmers alone. On the direction of Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Haq Do Kisan movement has been started across the country. He said protest camps will be set up in 30 tehsils of all the districts of Punjab to express solidarity with the farmers and against the government coldness. Camps will also be set up at the district headquarters of Kisan Board to show solidarity with the farmers. Until the government buys all the wheat from the farmers at the announced rate of Rs 3900 per maund, the Haq Do Kisan movement will continue.

President Kisan Board Sardar Zafar Hussain, Secretary Dr. Abdul Jabbar, Deputy Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Azhar Iqbal Hasan, Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab North Dr. Tariq Saleem, Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Central Muhammad Javed Kasuri and Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab South Rao Muhammad Zafar also addressed on the occasion.