Pakistan People's Party Information Secretary Criticizes Wheat Import Crisis and Calls for Local Body Elections
PPP Slams Government Over Anti-Farmer Policies as Nadeem Afzal Chan Demands Immediate Relief for Agriculture Sector
LAHORE: Pakistan People's Party Central Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan launched a fierce attack on the current government's agricultural policies during a press conference in Lahore, demanding immediate action to address the mounting crisis facing Pakistan's farming community and calling for the fulfillment of delayed electoral promises.
Chan launched a scathing attack on the government's anti-farmer policies, noting that during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's tenure, 1200 billion rupees were allocated, but farmers received nothing. He questioned what the government provided to flood victims in 2023.
The PPP leader explained that wheat is not merely bread but serves as a bank guarantee and fulfills farmers' needs. He criticized the government for using the International Monetary Fund as an excuse, referencing a tweet by Saad Rafiq on this matter.
Chan argued that if the government had provided subsidies to farmers, billions worth of wheat imports would not have been necessary. He revealed that the government is providing farmers with 20,000 rupees per acre, while there are clear differences in currency rates and fertilizer and electricity costs between India and Pakistan.
The PPP official stated that real decisions in the country are made by bureaucrats or feudal elites, not political leaders. He stressed that adopting a bureaucratic model would not lead to success.
Referring to flood damages, Chan mentioned that 310,000 animals were swept away in floods, questioning whether farmers should stand in queues to receive compensation. He argued that if local institutions had existed, the post-flood situation would have been different.
The party leader criticized the government for failing to fulfill its promise of holding local body elections within one year. He sarcastically remarked that the government is not accustomed to consulting with coalition partners.
Chan accused the government of using public money to benefit housing societies, clarifying that constructing underpasses and overpasses is not the responsibility of housing societies.
He announced that the Sindh Hari Card worth 55.9 billion rupees has been issued and expressed his desire for the Punjab government to introduce a similar card. He noted that 2.1 million houses have been constructed in Sindh, while in Punjab, Bilawal Bhutto's fund of 9 billion rupees has been allocated for projects in Multan and Dera Ismail Khan.
Chan clarified that while the People's Party is not part of the executive, it remains part of the government. He metaphorically explained that some marriages are based on preference while others are out of necessity.
The press conference was attended by prominent party members including Faisal Mir, Rana Jawad, Nayab Jan, Ahsan Rizvi, Zeeshan Shami, Dr. Khalid Javed Jan, Chaudhry Riaz, and Dr. Zarar Yousaf.
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