Kisan Ittehad Postpones Islamabad March After Govt Assures Action on Demands

Business Desk 

QUETTA: Pakistan Kisan Ittehad on Friday postponed its planned long march from Quetta to Islamabad following talks with the Balochistan government, which assured the farmers’ representatives that their longstanding demands and agriculture-related grievances would be addressed.

The decision came as thousands of farmers from different parts of Balochistan gathered in Quetta to press for relief from problems that have increasingly affected their livelihoods, including concerns over wheat procurement and prices, rising agricultural input costs and government policies relating to the farming sector.

Kisan Ittehad Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath announced the postponement after talks with the provincial government, saying the decision was taken at the request of the Balochistan government and in view of the prevailing national situation and law and order concerns.

According to Balochistan Home Department Adviser Babar Yousafzai, a government delegation led by Provincial Minister Ali Madad Jattak met Kisan Ittehad President Khalid Hussain Bath to discuss the farmers’ demands. Member of the Balochistan Assembly Mir Janzaib Mengal also attended the meeting.

Yousafzai said the government delegation assured the farmers’ representatives that their demands would be taken up and addressed. Following the assurances, Bath accepted the government’s commitment and agreed to postpone the planned march towards the federal capital.

The development brought a pause to a protest movement that had been building around a range of agricultural issues. Farmers have repeatedly raised concerns over the prices they receive for their produce, procurement arrangements, increasing costs of seed, fertiliser, pesticides, electricity and fuel, as well as broader government policies that they say directly affect farm incomes and agricultural production.

For farmers in Balochistan, such concerns are compounded by the province’s difficult agricultural conditions, where farming and livestock activities remain closely linked to water availability, weather conditions and access to markets. Farmers’ organisations have therefore continued to seek policies that provide greater certainty over crop prices, reduce the pressure of rising production costs and improve access to agricultural facilities and markets.

The Kisan Ittehad had begun its long march from Quetta Press Club at 3pm on Friday, with thousands of farmers from across Balochistan participating in the demonstration. The group had planned to travel towards Islamabad and raise its demands before the federal authorities.

Bath had called for government action on the issues confronting farmers and criticised policies that he said had added to their difficulties. The farmers’ group had particularly highlighted concerns relating to wheat procurement and prices, along with the rising cost of agricultural inputs and other challenges facing the farming community.

The postponement followed negotiations between the provincial government and the farmers’ representatives as authorities sought to engage groups that had announced protests and long marches towards Islamabad.

Earlier this month, the federal government had said it would engage the farmers’ alliance over its planned September 25 march, opening the possibility of negotiations to address the concerns raised by the farming community.

Farmers’ demands in Pakistan have frequently centred on the same broad questions: whether they receive a fair return for their produce, whether procurement systems operate effectively, and whether the cost of farming remains manageable. Wheat prices and procurement have been particularly sensitive issues because decisions surrounding the crop affect farmers at the production stage as well as consumers and the wider food supply chain.

The issue of rising input costs has also remained a major concern for farmers. Increases in the prices of fertiliser, seed, pesticides, diesel, electricity and machinery can raise production expenses and reduce the margin available to farmers, particularly when market prices for agricultural produce do not increase at the same pace.

The Balochistan farmers’ mobilisation reflects these wider pressures while also highlighting the province-specific difficulties faced by the agricultural community. Limited water availability, climatic pressures, expensive inputs and difficulties in transporting produce to markets can place additional strain on farmers, making government support and predictable agricultural policies important issues for farming communities.

The talks with the Balochistan government have now temporarily defused the planned march from Quetta to Islamabad, but the underlying demands raised by the farmers remain on the agenda. The postponement means the government has been given an opportunity to follow through on its assurances and address the concerns discussed during the negotiations.

The Kisan Ittehad has made clear that issues concerning agricultural prices, procurement, input costs and government policies remain central to its campaign for relief. The decision to postpone the march therefore marks not the end of the farmers’ concerns but a shift from protest towards dialogue, with the provincial government’s assurances now forming the basis for further engagement.