Kissan Ittehad Announces Sept 25 Rawalpindi March
Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath says farmers from across Pakistan will join the peaceful protest, citing wheat prices, crop losses, procurement policies and restrictions on inter-provincial movement as key grievances.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath on Saturday announced that farmers from across the country would mobilise for a “Million March” towards Rawalpindi on September 25, escalating the organisation’s campaign over wheat policy, falling farm incomes and what it describes as a deepening crisis in Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Farmers Plan Nationwide Mobilisation
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Bath said the planned demonstration would remain peaceful and that protesters did not intend to block roads.
He warned, however, that farmers would attempt to reach Rawalpindi through alternative routes or on foot if authorities prevented their movement.
The September 25 mobilisation follows an earlier PKI announcement of a countrywide protest campaign and a farmers’ march towards Rawalpindi if their grievances remained unresolved. Recent reporting has also documented the organisation’s demand for Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s resignation.
Wheat Prices at Centre of Farmers’ Concerns
Bath placed the wheat and flour situation at the centre of Saturday’s press conference.
He claimed wheat that had previously been purchased from farmers at much lower prices was now trading at around Rs6,000 to Rs7,500 per 40kg and warned that prices could climb further before the next crop reaches the market.
These figures and projections are claims made by the PKI leadership and have not been independently verified by Islamabad Tribune.
The government’s position differs from the farmers’ assessment. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research said in July that provincial representatives had reported adequate wheat stocks and no nationwide shortage.
However, a later federal Wheat Board meeting on July 28 recorded that provinces’ collective requirements exceeded stocks available with PASSCO, prompting authorities to explore the import of approximately one million tonnes of wheat to safeguard supplies.
Punjab Draws on PASSCO Wheat Stocks
Punjab has meanwhile been drawing wheat from PASSCO stocks.
In August, the provincial government fixed its wheat release price at Rs3,800 per 40kg, while official information cited a PASSCO procurement price of Rs4,150 per 40kg.
Federal authorities had earlier approved the disposal of 500,000 metric tonnes of PASSCO wheat through competitive bidding.
Farmers Raise Concerns Over Wheat Stocks
Bath also raised concerns about the quality and disposal of wheat held in government storage, alleging that deteriorated stocks were being sold cheaply.
PASSCO’s current tender listings include a tender relating to damaged wheat, while earlier official records show government approval for competitive disposal of wheat stocks.
These records establish that damaged wheat disposal and stock sales have occurred, but they do not by themselves substantiate all of the allegations made by the PKI chairman regarding the condition, value or eventual use of those stocks.
PKI Warns of Impact on Wheat Cultivation
The farmers’ organisation argued that changes in public-sector wheat procurement have pushed growers into losses and discouraged cultivation.
Bath said some farmers had shifted land away from wheat towards fodder and other uses after suffering losses in successive seasons, warning that reduced cultivation could ultimately affect consumers and national food security.
PKI leaders also criticised restrictions on moving wheat between districts and provinces, arguing that farmers should be able to sell their produce wherever they can secure a better price, including in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.
Farmers Expand Demands Beyond Wheat
The organisation broadened its criticism beyond wheat, saying potato, maize and sugarcane growers were also facing low returns, storage costs, delayed payments and other difficulties.
Bath reiterated demands for a review of agricultural policies, fair crop prices and timely payments to growers.
He also called for an end to what PKI describes as unjustified cases and police action against farmers over agricultural and irrigation-related disputes.
PKI Says Protest Is Not Politically Affiliated
PKI leader Mian Umair Masood said the movement had no affiliation with the PML-N, PTI, PPP or any other political party, maintaining that its campaign was focused exclusively on farmers and agriculture.
The organisation said farmers from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan would participate in the September 25 mobilisation and insisted it would continue preparations unless its demands were addressed.
