Mian Abdul Rashid, head of Kisan Board Punjab, has been arrested in Lahore in a major crackdown on protest organizers.
Farmers in Pakistan have announced plans to protest due to delays in government wheat procurement, escalating tensions between agricultural leaders and the authorities.
The Kisan Board Pakistan has also reported that law enforcement is conducting raids on the homes of other agricultural leaders, suggesting a broader effort to suppress the planned protests. These developments follow a recent call to action by the Chairman of the Kisan Union, Haseeb Anwar, who demanded that the government adhere to the designated support price for wheat procurement two days ago.
Anwar declared that farmers would stage a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly on April 29 and continue their protest until their demands are satisfied. This protest is set against the backdrop of significant wheat reserves held by the government, which amounted to 4 million tons at the start of this year’s harvesting season.
During the caretaker government’s term, the private sector imported 3.4 million tons of wheat valued at one billion dollars from abroad, marking a 36% increase compared to the same period last fiscal year.
