Farmers face police action over protest outside Punjab Assembly

Lahore: As the farmers gathered outside the Punjab Assembly to voice their grievances over the delayed purchase of wheat by the Punjab government, they were met with a forceful police response, including crackdowns and arrests on Monday.

Intending to stage a sit-in protest at Faisal Chowk, near the provincial legislative assembly, the farmers were prevented from doing so by the police, who employed baton charges to disperse them.

Mian Umair, President of Kisan Ittehad, expressed concern over the arrests of their members and the hindrance of their protest plans. He highlighted the genuine concerns of the farmers regarding the delayed procurement and adverse weather conditions.

Kisan Ittehad, led by Vice President Sabir Niaz Kombuh, had called for the sit-in protest in response to the government's failure to initiate wheat procurement, drawing farmers from various cities to Lahore in solidarity.

Several political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples' Party, and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), voiced their support for the farmers and criticized the government's policies and crackdowns.

In a show of solidarity, opposition members of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), backed by PTI, staged a walkout from the provincial assembly and protested against the government's actions.

Police presence outside the Punjab Assembly was intensified, with the deployment of prisoner vans and water cannons to deter the farmers from staging the sit-in. President Mumtaz Daulatana of the Kashtkar (Farmers) Foundation Punjab was already in police custody.

Security measures were heightened at entry points to Lahore, such as Thokar Niaz Baig, and surveillance was increased at the Motorway M-3 Interchange to prevent farmers from reaching the city.

While some farmers managed to evade arrest by traveling individually, a group of students expressing solidarity with the farmers was dispersed by the police, who warned of strict action.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari reaffirmed the government's commitment to genuine farmer representatives, denying any arrests of farmers' representatives. She condemned the politicization of the wheat issue by certain parties and emphasized the need to protect farmers' interests.

Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan, assured farmers that their concerns would be addressed, emphasizing the importance of dialogue with relevant organizations and stakeholders.