SWABI: The political leaders and farmers have demanded a complete scrutiny of around 11,000 tobacco purchase agreements held by small manufacturers, saying the agreements are listed but have not been issued to the growers.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the Swabi Press Club on Tuesday, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) district chairman Masood Jabbar said the authorities should verify each agreement and determine the quota allocated, quantity purchased, rate paid and grade under which the tobacco was procured.
He said any company or agreement holder found violating the rules should face action and, where necessary, the agreements must be cancelled.Kashtkaran Coordination Council general secretary Nasir Khan said thousands of families depended on tobacco cultivation and the sector generated billions of rupees of revenue for the government. He urged the government to resolve growers’ problems and provide adequate financial assistance to farmers affected by floods and other natural disasters.
Pakhtunkhwa Kashtkaran Jirga president Muhammad Ali Dagiwal said tobacco was not an ordinary agricultural crop but an industrial crop regulated by laws, rules and the Pakistan Tobacco Board.
