Why are farmers protesting in Islamabad?
Over 25,000 farmers from Punjab under the umbrella of Kissan Ittehad reached the capital city, Islamabad again to stage a protest for the fulfillment of their demands.
Since Sept 21, farmers have reached Islamabad twice whereas teachers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also entered the capital three days ago and staged a protest in Banigala.
The farmers are protesting in Islamabad as they are agitated by the increase in prices of urea, utility bills, Diesel prices and taxes.
They threatened to march toward Islamabad D chowk. However, negotiations between the farmers and interior minister Rana Sana Ullah remained successful last week. Therefore, farmers agreed to call off the protest with the condition that a meeting will be held between them and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 28, 2022.
Rana Sanaullah welcomed farmers’ gesture for calling off the protest.
What did the farmers protest again?
On September 28, 2022, farmers recalled the protest. They are holding a sit-in protest in the blue area as authorities restricted them from protesting near RedZone areas.
Representatives of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad said that the government has not sent any delegation for negotiations yet and the local administration has only approached them.
The protestors blocked the Zero Point and Khyber Plaza roundabout.
Huge traffic jam at different areas. The most affected areas are Faizabad, Margalla road and Islamabad Expressway.
Last night (Tuesday), scenes of rifts between farmers and police officials were seen.
What are their demands?
- Taxes on agricultural machinery should be abolished.
- Aid and assistance on fertilizers and Diesel.
- Government should compensate for the damage resulting from rains and floods.
- Reduce power taxes since the government has increased the electricity rate to Rs 36 per unit.
