ISLAMABAD: The PTI farmers’ wing has termed the 202627 federalbudget as anti-farmer, anti-agriculture and disappointing for the rural economy, stating that the announced measures cannot serve as a substitute for a comprehensive agricultural policy.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich, central secretary information of the PTI farmers’ wing, said the agricultural loans, specific subsidies and ‘hollow incentives’ announced in the budgetfailto address the needs of farmers.
Mr Sadhraich was joined by several lawmakers and wing leaders, including Senior Vice Presi-dent Mian Ghous, Khurram Shehzad Virk, Punjab farmers’ wing Central President Awais Jhakkar, retired brigadier Aslam Ghuman and Dr Azeemuddin Lakhvi.
The leaders highlighted contradictions in the data presented in the pre-budget Economic Survey.They noted that agricultural growth for 2024-25 was initially shown as 0.56 per cent and later revised to 1.53pc.
Demanding clarification from the government on the revision, the leaders noted that only two years ago, the agriculture sector achieved a growth rate of over 6pc, with major crops growing at around 17pc.The farmers wing leaders termed the proposed facilities in the federal budget as mere ‘1011ipops’, stating that no clear, largescale and direct relief has been provided for farmers in the fertilisers, seeds, diesel, electricity, agricultural tube wells, machinery, cotton, wheat, rice and livestock sectors.
‘Agricultural costs are continuously rising, but there is no strong policy for crop pricing, market access, storage, processing and export facilities,’ the leaders said in a joint statement.
They maintained that Pakistan imports around 90pc of its edible oil requirements, which poses a major threat to food self-sufficiency. Mr Ghous and Mr Sadhraich said the figures proved that current economic policies are harming both farmers and agri-cultural exports.
Mr Virk and Mr Jhakkar called the current federal budget extremely disappointing for labourers, the rural economy and agricultural production. They said the government has practically ignored agriculture, which serves as the backbone of the national economy.
GB mandate Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Mr Khan expressed concerns over the political situation in GilgitBaltistan, alleging that the PTPs public mandate in the region was being stolen.
He claimed that the PPP and the PML-N had limited representation in Gilgit-Baltistan but still won seats, while PTI candidates were deprived of their victories.