Punjab Government blocked a rally protesting corporate farming and six new canals on the Indus, and demanding a wheat support price of Rs. 4000 per 40kg
Punjab Government blocked a rally protesting corporate farming and six new canals on the Indus and demanding a wheat support price of Rs. 4000 per 40kg
Okara / Depalpur: April 17, 2025: On the occasion of the International Day of Peasant Struggles, the Punjab government has once again exposed its authoritarian face by suppressing the voice of Pakistan’s farmers. A peaceful rally organized by the Pakistan Kisan Organizing Committee in Depalpur, aimed at opposing corporate farming, the construction of six new canals, and demanding a fair wheat support price of Rs. 4000 per 40kg, was forcefully blocked by the provincial administration. The government not only denied permission for the event but also harassed local organizers, threatened activists, and blocked access to the venue. This heavy-handed action, taken on a day globally recognized for honoring the struggles of peasants, is both shameful and alarming.
Despite the presence of democracy and constitutional guarantees, farmers and social activists are continuously silenced through state repression in Punjab. The right to peaceful assembly has been undermined, and the state appears more interested in protecting the interests of corporate agriculture than the rights and livelihoods of small farmers who form the backbone of our country’s food system.
In response to this undemocratic act, a joint press conference was held in Depalpur where leaders from various political, peasant, and civil society organizations strongly condemned the Punjab government’s actions. Farooq Tariq, Secretary of the Pakistan Kisan Rabta Committee; Advocate Wassand Thari, President of Awami Tehreek; Imdad Qazi, Secretary of the Communist Party of Pakistan; Sabir Ali Haider of the Pakistan Inqilabi Party; Dr. Dildar Laghari of the Sindhi Hari Tehreek; and Asim Sajjad of the Awami Workers Party addressed the media with strong words of protest and resolve.
Other prominent figures present included Advocate Sajid Hussain Mahesar, Noor Ahmed Kathiyar, Mian Shaukat Ali, Abdul Rasheed Shad, Mudabbir Ali, Mukhtiar, Comrade Irfan Ali, Comrade Parvez Arif, Comrade Iqbal, Ayaz Saleh Palejo, Wassand Arshi, Advocate Naeem Ajmal Khan, Hussain Jameel, and Mian Shaukat Wattoo. They collectively expressed outrage over the suppression of farmers’ democratic rights and reaffirmed their commitment to continue the struggle for justice.
The participants demanded that the Punjab government immediately lift all restrictions on peaceful protests, stop the construction of controversial canals on the Indus River, and ensure a fair wheat support price of Rs. 4000 per 40kg to protect the economic survival of small-scale farmers. This is not just a political issue—it is a matter of food sovereignty, environmental justice, and human dignity.
The voice of the farmers cannot be silenced through force. We stand united in the belief that the land belongs to those who cultivate it—not to corporations and profiteers. The struggle will continue until farmers’ rights are recognized and respected.
