Siraj for suo motu on farmers’ woes

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Sirajul Haq has demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan take suo motu notice of numerous problems being faced by the farmers in order to save agriculture sector from total collapse. Farmers were producing essential crops like sugarcane, rice, cotton and wheat, but capitalists ruling the country had been denying them the due prices of these items, Sirajul Haq said while talking to the media on visiting a protest camp of farmers on the Mall on Tuesday. He said High Court order for paying Rs 180 per ton of sugarcane had been thrown into the dustbin by the rulers and the administration. He demanded farmers’ representation in the board which decided procurement prices of the crops. Besides, he said, government should procure farm products directly from the growers instead of the middle man. He stressed the government to grant subsidy on oil and electricity being used by the agriculturists. JI Punjab ameer Mian Maqsood Ahmed said so far, the growers had fought for their rights within the law. Later, Sirajul Haq visited the sit-in of the Lady Health Visitors (LHVs), and expressed solidarity with their demands. Earlier, addressing a convention of JI Youth and JI nominees for national and provincial assemblies’ seats at Mansoora, Senator Sirajul Haq said the wailing and crying of rulers would not make the nation to trust them again as the parties being in power time and again had totally disappointed the masses.