Balochistan Farmers Postpone Islamabad March After Govt Assurances

News Desk
QUETTA: The Pakistan Kissan Ittehad has officially postponed its planned long march and sit-in toward Islamabad, which was scheduled to commence from Quetta, following substantive negotiations and formal assurances from the Balochistan government.
The decision comes as a temporary relief for federal and provincial authorities aiming to avert major traffic disruptions and political demonstrations in the capital.
According to provincial Home Affairs Adviser Babar Yousafzai, a high-level government delegation—including Provincial Minister Ali Madad Jattak and Member of the Balochistan Assembly Mir Jahanzeb Mengal—engaged in crucial talks with Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Baath.
During the meeting, the administration committed to addressing the core grievances of the agrarian community and fulfilling their legitimate demands, prompting Mr Baath to call off the immediate protest march.
The postponement averts a potentially tense standoff between agricultural workers and security forces at a time when the national economy faces severe structural pressures. Farming communities across the country have been demanding emergency relief packages to combat soaring fertilizer costs, expensive electricity tariffs for tubewells, and inflated fuel prices, which they argue have rendered traditional farming economically unviable.
Both sides are expected to establish a joint committee in the coming days to formulate a comprehensive roadmap addressing the agricultural crisis in Balochistan.
Farmers’ representatives have urged Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti to formally declare an agricultural emergency to revitalize the provincial rural economy and provide immediate subsidies to growers.