- Aleem Khan says PM Abbasi fighting for interests of Sharif family instead of Pakistan
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Monday issued fact-sheet on agriculture and held the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Sharif brothers responsible for all woes of farmers, especially those producing sugarcane.
Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly and PTI leader Mehmoodur Rashid said that the Punjab government badly failed to address issues faced by the sugarcane farmers and they have been forced to burn their crops. “The PML-N government gave farmers the greed of Kissan Package and interest-free loans but the Sharif brothers did not introduce any agriculture policy.
The PML-N is running the affairs of state like a banana republic, forcing the farmers to starve, commit suicides and burn their crops,” he said, adding that once farmers used to feed the whole country but now they themselves are deprived of basic facilities like health and education.
He further said, “The PML-N has not formulated any agriculture policy, and rather it shut food and agriculture department. The poor farmers have to pay a bribe for installation of electricity meters.” He added that 86 per cent sugar mills are owned by politicians and they owe billions of rupees to farmers.
“The sugar mills are using illegal scales. The farmers are not being paid official sugarcane price of Rs182 per 40 kg,” Mehmood said.
The PTI leader went on to say that the Punjab government promised to give an interest-free loan of Rs25,000 to 3,500 farmers from every district and promised Rs40,000 for Kharif season. “The government kept the criterion strict and only 1,200 farmers in Punjab applied for a loan. It is strange that sowing of the wheat crop has been completed but farmers have not been given any loan.”
He alleged that the Punjab government will give some loans to farmers in January as it will benefit them in elections. He asked the government not to befool the farmers and give them subsidy on diesel, electricity, agriculture inputs and fertilizer.
The opposition leader demanded the government to introduce insurance schemes and cooperative societies for farmers to mitigate their problems. “The government should abolish all taxes on agriculture and improve quality of seeds for farmers. New technology should also be introduced,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, PTI Central Punjab President Abdul Aleem Khan has alleged that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is fighting for the interests of the Sharif family instead of Pakistan. He accused him of indulging in corruption.
Talking to different delegations at the party’s chairman secretariat, he said that it is unfortunate that Khaqan Abbasi is committing contempt of court by declaring a disqualified person as his prime minister. He said that the PM should avoid becoming a spokesman for the corrupt people who consider themselves above the law.