Thursday, May 7, 2015

Pakistan - Former President Zardari expresses grave concern over plight of farmers

https://ppppunjab.wordpress.com
Former President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed grave concern over the plight of farmers in the country due to continued neglect of the agriculture sector by the government. Agriculture is the mainstay of national economy and the growing frustration among the farming community bodes ill for the national economy, the former President warned the government in a statement today. Earlier senior PPP leaders including former Prime Ministers Yousuf Raza Gillani and Raja Pervez Ashraf and provincial president PPP Punjab Manzoor Watto called on the former President to discuss a host of issues including the plight of farming community and the forthcoming local bodies’ polls. Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the former President asked the party leaders to reach out to the farmers and also raise their issues at all forums including parliament. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari said that the PPP government’s policies of giving good support price and fixing tariff for tube wells at eight rupees per unit enabled the country to become self sufficient in wheat. As agriculture thrived the national wealth and purchasing power of the rural people also increased, he said. He asked the government to honor its commitment of giving subsidy to rice growers recalling that the ppp government had purchased potato stocks from farmers when its prices declined steeply so as to save the famers from ruination. Mr. Zardari said that a strong and vibrant agricultural sector guaranteed food security and no investment should be considered too great for the food security of the 200 million people and asked the government to revisit its policies towards agriculture sector.

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