MULTAN City News

Non-acceptance of demands
Farmers give six-month deadline to government
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: The Kisan Board Pakistan has given a six-month deadline to the government to accept their 10 demands, otherwise they will launch a long march against it from Sadiqabad to Islamabad.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, KBP central president Sadiq Khan Khakwani, Punjab secretary general Arslan Khan Khakwani and south Punjab media coordinator Kanwar Siddique said that their demands included abolition of general sales tax on all agriculture inputs, lifting of ban on wheat movement, announcement of support prices before sowing period, flat rates for agriculture tube-wells and interest-free agriculture loans to all farmers.
KBP chief Sadiq Khan Khakwani said that the farmers were facing difficult times because of high costs of agri inputs, high electricity tariff and loadshedding. He said that the farmers were not getting due returns for their crops. He said that India was giving subsidy to the farmers on agri inputs while the Pakistan government was creating problems for the farmers by importing agri products from India. He said that the farmers were the backbone of the national economy but the rulers were overlooking their problems. He asked the farmers to unite to protect their interests.
KBP Punjab secretary general Arslan Khakwani said the farmers were 70-80pc of the population but unfortunately 20pc people were ruling them. He said that the KBP had been fighting for the prestige of the farmers for a long times and was organising the Kisan conventions at the district level. A farmers’ convention would be held in Khanewal district on April 1 and Layyah district on April 5, he added. The farmers were contributing lion’s share in the national growth, but they were deprived of health facilities.

SSP warns of sealing banks set up in small buildings
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: SSP Operations Muhammad Saleem has warned of sealing banks branches set up in small buildings in violation of security by-laws.
Addressing regional heads of the banks here on Monday, he said that the banks fell in sensitive buildings’ category. He gave a seven-day deadline to shift the banks branches established in small buildings to suitable places. He said that action would also be taken against the bank managers if they failed to adopt stringent security measures. He said that the circulars were being dispatched to their respective headquarters and bosses in this regard.