LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has supported protesting farmers against the federal government, saying they are hundred percent justified in their demands.

Parliamentary Leader and General Secretary PPP Punjab Syed Hassan Murtaza said that farmers are adversely affected due to the prevailing economic crisis. The rising prices of electricity and petroleum products have made their life miserable.

The government collects wheat from farmers forcibly on the one hand and fails to take action against black marketers of fertilizers on the other, he added.

According to him, the fate of the country would be changed if the government supports farmers instead of investors. The government should free farmers from the clutches of the middleman and ensure an uninterrupted supply of DAP fertilizer to them. He added that the government should also provide relief to farmers by bringing down the prices of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.

“We are allies of the government, but we will not tolerate any kind of oppression against farmers,” Murtaza added that it should be a matter of concern for any government if farmers are not happy.

He lamented that the government policies are not being made in line with the needs of farmers. Only the farmers’ community could bring this country out of the economic challenges, he said.

He further deplored that the federal government was not serious in addressing the legitimate demands of farmers.

Also, he said, prices of petroleum products have not been reduced in accordance with the expectations of the people. The government should minimize petroleum products and electricity prices at the same pace as they increased, as the people of Pakistan couldn’t bear the inflation anymore.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022