Kissan Ittehad rejects budget, warns of protests

LAHORE: Kissan Ittehad Pakistan on Saturday rejected the proposed federal budget for FY2026-27, terming it anti-farmer and accusing the government of ignoring the country’s agriculture sector despite its critical role in the national economy. In his reaction to the proposed budget, Kissan Ittehad Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath said the farming community had pinned high hopes on the federal budget and expected substantial relief measures to reduce production costs. However, he said the government failed to provide any meaningful support to farmers. Bath remarked that while the world acknowledges the diplomatic efforts of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in easing tensions during the Iran-US conflict, the government had disappointed farmers by excluding their concerns from the budget. He criticised the finance minister for not even mentioning agriculture and farmers during the budget speech, calling it a reflection of the government’s lack of seriousness toward a sector that remains the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. “Neglecting agriculture and farmers is tantamount to neglecting the country’s economic development, ” Bath said, adding that farmers had expected relief on five key agricultural inputs, including fertilisers, pesticides, seeds, diesel and electricity. According to him, no relief was announced on any of these essential inputs, leaving farmers burdened with rising production costs and shrinking profitability. The Kissan Ittehad chairman warned that if subsidies on fertilisers and diesel are not announced by June 30, the organisation will launch a protest movement across the country. He maintained that farmers would play a decisive role in laying the foundation for economic growth during fiscal year 2026-27, but this would only be possible if they receive adequate policy support and financial relief. Bath further vowed to expose what he termed as corrupt mafias operating within the agricultural system and asserted that farmers would not remain silent if their rights continued to be ignored. “If farmers are not given their due rights, they will secure them through democratic struggle, ” he said, adding that the entire farming community would take to the streets if the government failed to announce relief measures before the end of June. The Kissan Ittehad urged the federal government to immediately review its budgetary priorities and introduce targeted support measures for the agriculture sector to safeguard food security, rural livelihoods and economic growth. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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