Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Monday held a meeting with a delegation of tobacco growers from Bonair to address the severe crisis they are facing due to the non-purchase of their ready crop.
Chief Minister meets Tobacco growers delegation
PESHAWAR, Aug 31 (APP): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Monday held a meeting with a delegation of tobacco growers from Bonair to address the severe crisis they are facing due to the non-purchase of their ready crop.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister Riaz Khan, MPA Abdul Kabir Khan, Syed Salar Bacha, and the Secretary of Excise, among others. The delegation provided a detailed briefing on their issues, highlighting the immense financial hardship they are enduring.
In response, Chief Minister took immediate notice and issued a series of firm directives to resolve the matter. He ordered the convening of a meeting with the Chairman of the Pakistan Tobacco Board to ensure the growers’ concerns are heard.
To ensure their direct representation, he directed that two local grower representatives be included in this meeting. The core issues of ensuring the timely purchase of the standing crop and increasing the purchase quota were ordered to be raised and resolved on an emergency basis.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the provincial government is committed to preventing any financial losses to the farmers and will provide all possible cooperation. Protecting farmers’ rights is a top priority, and the government is even open to amending the legal framework if necessary to ensure a permanent solution to their problems.
He reiterated that the KP government, under Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, is dedicated to sustainable solutions for public issues and investment in human development.
