SWABI: The intervention of the district administration on Monday prevented a possible clash between tobacco growers and police here.
On the call of the Kashthkar Coordination Council and Kisan Board, tobacco growers from across the district staged a sit-on Swabi-Jehangira Road in front of the Pakistan Tobacco Company purchasing centre in Fauijoonabad of Chota Lahor tehsil for two hours against the failure of the companies to purchase their products.
They demanded that all tobacco output be purchased by multinational and national companies and that companies don`t declare tobacco products surplus to save them from suffering losses.
The protesters later marched towards the Swabi interchange to block the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway prompting the administration to block their way.
They created obstacles and didn`t allow protesters to move on but the latter managed to reach neartheinterchange.
The police were deployed in large numbers there to preventany untoward situation.
KB district president Khalid Khan claimed some clashes occurred between protesters and police.
However, the famers were asked by leaders to remain peaceful.
KB provincial president Rizwanullah said growers demanded solid steps and written agreement from the relevant quarters on their demands.KCC general secretary Liaquat Yousafzai said a large quantity of tobacco products had been lying with growers, who knew that companies had planned to declare the crop surplus to their losses.
As the tensions grew, deputy commissioner Mutasimbillah and district police officer Mohammad Sohaib Ashraf showed up and held talks with the leaders of protest-ers.
Leaders of protesters including Rizwanullah, Liaquat Yousafzai, Mohammad Ali Dagaiwal and Khalid Khan struck a deal with the administration about talks on the matter at the DC office today (Tuesday).
The PTB chairman, representatives of tobacco companies and grower leaders will participate in the talks.
However, growers said they wouldn`t accept anything less than the meeting of their demand s.
They later dispersed peacefully.
ARRESTED:The district police on Monday arrested 25 suspected outlaws in 11 villages of Razaar tehsil here.
The arrests were made during a search and strike operation, district police officer Mohammad Sohaib Ashraf told reporters here.
The DPO said the arrested men were shifted to the district headquarter, where they would be investigated by the law-enforcement agencies.
He said those found to be innocent would be freed.
The DPO also said the police also searched some houses in villages and seized goods to be used in subversive activities.
