Amidst a period of inclement weather in Punjab, farmers find themselves embroiled in a contentious struggle against the delays in the government’s purchase of wheat at fixed prices. Today, their frustration reached a boiling point as they took to the streets in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, staging a protest demonstration.
However, their outcry was met with a heavy-handed response from law enforcement as police initiated a crackdown, targeting prominent farmer leaders and making several arrests. Among those detained was Mumtaz Daulatana, the President of the Kashtkar (Farmers) Foundation Punjab, apprehended in Pir Mahal.
To further deter the farmers from reaching the epicenter of their dissent in Lahore, police personnel were strategically deployed at the Motorway M-3 Interchange.
Meanwhile, in Rahim Yar Khan, another display of protest unfolded as farmers resorted to a symbolic act, donning chains around their necks to symbolize the shackles of their predicament stemming from the delayed wheat procurement drive.
Following a similar crackdown in Daska, the district president of the Farmers Alliance issued directives for members to converge individually in Lahore rather than forming convoys, presumably as a tactical maneuver to evade law enforcement scrutiny.
Amidst these turbulent events, Hafiz Javed Goraya, a prominent farmers’ leader, lamented the dire circumstances faced by agriculturalists.
He acknowledged the economic strain imposed by the procurement delays, forcing farmers to sell their produce at significantly reduced rates merely 3,000 rupees per maund, a stark contrast to the official price of 3,900 rupees exacerbating the already precarious livelihoods of those reliant on agriculture.
