Farm distress increased in Pakistan, various groups protesting against Imran Khan administration Govt in various cities across the Country.
According to a media source, farm distress is on the increase in Pakistan, with various groups protesting in multiple locations as the Imran Khan administration has abolished all tax exemptions and imposed new tariffs in order to meet the International Monetary Fund’s demand for the loan.
Despite criticism from political parties and Pakistani people, the Imran Khan administration moved forward with the revocation of several tax exemptions in January 2022 in order to obtain a loan from the World Bank International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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Experts have warned of major negative consequences for the economy’s cornerstones. And the agriculture industry looks to be the first to suffer as a result of the economic choice. Farmers have been protesting against the Khan administration due to a lack of vital crop inputs, the high cost of agricultural equipment and tools, and rising taxes, according to the Associated Press International Forum For Right And Security (IFFRAS).
According to IFFRAS, Pakistan’s Opposition parties have also extended their support to farmers, claiming that the ill-fated move to reduce tax exemption has damaged the agriculture industry, which is the backbone of the country’s economy.
Pakistani farmers have voiced their displeasure as a result of a lack of fertilizers and rising seed prices. Farmers in the nation mostly utilize urea as a fertilizer, and its scarcity is wreaking havoc on standing crops.
Mukhtiar Soomro, a farmer from Sindh province, slammed Islamabad for mismanagement that has left many farmers in the lurch. According to IFFRAS, Soomro also stated that his crop has gone yellow and that their growth will be hindered without the urea, but the merchants in the market keep turning me away, claiming that there is a scarcity of stock.
Meanwhile, the Imran Khan administration has been slammed for failing to act against market rigging and justifying rising seed costs. Maize seed prices have risen from PKR 3,000 to 5,000.
Farmers in Pakistan, according to IFFRAS, are confronting severe meteorological and market circumstances. In such an environment, the Imran Khan government’s move to revoke all tax exemptions has exacerbated the country’s agrarian suffering.
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Kissan Ittehad Awami Party has scheduled rallies in Multan, Punjab, over increased agricultural material and output levies. If the Islamabad administration fails to address their concerns, the party has vowed to stage a sit-in protest in front of the Punjab Assembly on February 20.
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