Tobacco growers in Swabi welcome District Council’s resolution

Anti-Tobacco Bill, closure of leaf purchase centres

SWABI: Welcoming the unanimous resolution of District Council Swabi against the Anti-Tobacco Bill and closure of leaf purchase centres, the tobacco growers in Yar Hussain area vowed to fight tooth and nail for their rights to stop the companies from the ‘economic murder’ of farmers in the district.

The District Council Swabi’s resolution against the closure of purchase depots and pledges of protection of farmers’ rights were also expressed at a follow-up meeting of the drive against the tobacco companies held at Tael Banda here. A large number of local nazims, councillors, elders and tobacco growers were in attendance.

Speaking on the occasion, lawyers Hassan Khan from Sodher, Nawab Ali, Wazir Muhammad, Farmanullah, Saadullah Khan and Muhammad Ashfaq, Asfandyar, Khansher Lala, Gohar Ali, Kamil Khan, Ahmed Ali Khan, Tariq Anwar and others lauded the District Council for passing a unanimous resolution against the national and multi-national tobacco companies. They said the members had rightly raised their genuine problems by vehemently opposing the closure or shifting the leaf purchase centres from their area.

The speakers said the tobacco growers would go to any extent to protect their rights. The District Council Swabi recently passed a resolution against the national and multi-national tobacco companies for closing down their depots in Yar Hussain and elsewhere in the district.

During debate on the resolution, District Nazim Ameer Rahman, members Salim Khan, Hassan Khan and Muhammad Zahid asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to delete the word ‘tobacco’ from the Anti-Tobacco Bill that was recently tabled in the provincial assembly.

They said that thousands of families were associated with tobacco cultivation and its allied businesses. “Our people are earning livelihood from this lone cash crop in Swabi and several other districts in the province,” they added.

The elected representatives came down hard on the multinational company, Philip Morris International (PMI) Pakistan, and Pakistan Tobacco Company for closing down several depots of tobacco leaf purchase in the area and planning to buy the produce through brokers and agents.

They said the tobacco companies would not be allowed to push farmers to the wall by employing various tactics against their interests. “There will be no place for any tobacco company in Swabi district if they continued the exploitation of growers,” the resolution quoted District Nazim Ameer Rahman as saying.

The members urged the federal and provincial governments to take action against the manufacturers of counterfeit cigarettes and other tobacco products and offered to cooperate with the tobacco companies for this purpose.

Meanwhile, the tobacco growers expressed concern over the closure of purchase depots in Yar Hussain, Yaqoobi, Maira, Lahor, Ambar and Charbagh in Swabi district, Marhati in Nowshera, Shergarh and Katlang in Mardan, Mandani and Sardheri in Charsadda and several centres in Buner and Mansehra districts.

They expressed anger over non-inclusion of farmers’ representatives in the consultative meetings to discuss the cost of production and fix demand and propose rates for the produce. They rejected the proposed rates for the ensuing produce. The speakers asked the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) high-ups to come forward and solve the problems of the growers.