Author Archives: Roots for Equity

A CRUCIAL VICTORY FOR BIOSAFETY

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Shalini Bhutani,April 21, 2016, DHNS

CIC held that denial of information merely because the issue is ‘under process’ is unreasonable.

An order given by the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi on April 1, 2016 hasn’t got the attention it warrants. It is not only a step towards biosafety, but also significant for democracy. The CIC passed the said order in response to an application by a concerned citizen seeking the full biosafety dossier of transgenic mustard from the Environment Ministry (MOEFCC).

A genetically modified (GM) variety of mustard, known as DMH11, has been developed at the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) in the University of Delhi (South Campus). The crop developer had submitted the required information on the GM mustard variety to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC under the MOEFCC) in 2014 and 2015 as part of a mandatory biosafety dossier. It is this information that was sought by the RTI applicant.

The GEAC had conveyed that the crop developer’s application was under review and would only be made public after the appraisal procedure was over. The CIC held that denial of information merely because the issue is ‘under process’ is unreasonable. In the continuing debates on whether or not India should adopt GM seeds in food crops, the views are often deeply polarised. The value of the CIC order is completely lost if it, too, is seen as a two-sided battle between those for and against GM.

Dealing with the real and potential risks of modern biotechnology has three aspects – risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. Much of the discussion in India is on how best to improve the regulatory framework for risk handling, but not enough attention is given to risk communication. Risk analysis is not complete without that.

Communication, in this context, cannot just be a one-way transfer through websites or press releases. To be meaningful to the decision-making process, it has to be interactive. The aspect of consultation is yet to be institutionalised in India. Until now, the broader community and people at large are seen as obstacles in a bureaucratic approval process.
The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator of the Australian government stresses on how findings must be presented to the public in a manner that facilitates inputs. There needs to be an interaction between the decision-making body, the regulating authority and the ordinary public. This is also what the CIC order reiterates. The information needs to be revealed to the public because they are the ones who will be affected if GM mustard is marketed.

Intellectual property (IP), particularly patents and plant variety certificates in the area of crops, can become a means to not only secure exclusive economic rights over one’s innovation, but also to exclude others from seeking information about the same during the pendency of the IP term.

The GEAC had also declined to share any information on GM mustard on the ground that the crop developer had patent rights on the variety. GEAC officials invoked Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act, which allows for IP-related information to be withheld if disclosure adversely affects the competitive position of the IP-holder.

Yet, the CIC held that larger public interest warrants the disclosure, in spite of any IP. This is a welcome stance from the point of view of biosafety. In fact, public sector biosafety research on proprietary GM crop varieties can become very restricted or be made expensive by companies due to IP.

International law

The Cartagena Protocol is the international treaty on biosafety. India is a member of this since 2003. It is based on the idea that a country cannot regulate GMOs unless it is aware of them being transported into its area. Therefore, it requires for Advanced Informed Agreements to be signed before living modified organisms (LMOs) are shipped to another country.

The CIC also cited the precautionary principle, which is a globally accepted environmental principle. The principle asks for one to tread with caution when the risks from a technology are not fully known. This is with an end to protect the environment. Both, the global protocol and the principle require access to information to be made workable.
The CIC order makes it easier for the Central government to incorporate the necessary provisions for both transparency of biosafety data and public participation in any new bill that it might draft on the issue of GM.

The Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill has been pending since its first avatar as the National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2008. There was considerable public outcry on the manner in which the bills attempted to muffle voices speaking out against GM technology.

The CIC has now asked for making public the complete agenda and minutes of the GEAC meetings within 24 hours of approval. The Commission has also directed that all biosafety data pertaining to all other GMOs in the pipeline be part of voluntary disclosure under Section 4 of the RTI Act.

Additionally, it has imposed a time limit, demanding that all directions be complied to before April 30, 2016. This lays the ground for a risk communication charter in the area of biosafety, one in which people can not only ask questions but also get answers.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/541708/a-crucial-victory-biosafety.html#

PROTESTERS WARN OF CLOSURE AS PQA SEES $9.6M ROYALTY COMING

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Business Recorder, April 19, 2016

Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Monday marked the 15th day of a protest demonstration hundreds of dock workers are carrying out at Port Qasim against the privatisation of two berths at the port’s Marginal Wharf.

While authorities at the ministry and port concerned appear to be completely indifferent to the potentially serious law and order situation, the “so-far-peaceful” agitation, the dockers warn, may anytime lead to (forced) closure of the country’s second largest seaport.

PQA Chairman Agha Jan Akhtar doubts accuracy of the “exaggerated” figure, as labor leader Hussain Badshah claims to have been leading about 1,757 dockers protesting, since April 3, the privatization and ultimate conversion of berths number 3 and 4 into a coal terminal.

“This is the matter of life and death for us as our families, about 15000 souls, depend on these berths for their sustenance,” Badshah, general secretary of Collective Bargaining Agent of Workers Union of Port Qasim, told Business Recorder.

From April 3 to 10, he said, the labourers had protested at Karachi Press Club and had then been staging a sit-in at National Highway near Port Qasim. “Hunger strike is the next step which we, the leaders of a seven-union coalition, would decide upon soon,” the worker said.

Claiming to have the backing of politicians from PML-N and PPP, the labourer said while 9.5 meter draught at berths number 1 and 2 had practically rendered the two facilities worthless in terms of ship handling, the remaining 3 and 4 were being rented out by the PQA.

“Even at 3 and 4 ships of 45,000MT can be handled. They may like to dredge the berths or privatize 1 and 2,” he suggested. Badshah claimed that Dock Worker Registration of Employment Act 1974 provided the employment of dock workers at the country’s seaports. “Be it at Karachi or Port Qasim”.

“All the 1757 labourers have PQA-issued identity cards that we call Worthy Cards,” he said.

What seems alarming is the fact that PQA chief Agha Jan Akhtar tends to treat the issue with an “iron hand” and uses words like “Bhatta” (extortion) while referring to Karachi Dock Labour Board at Karachi Port. “I have been handling things here with an iron hand for last four years,” he told Business Recorder.

“At PQA we don’t have any KDLB or any law legalizing it. We are a landlord port having no labour,” the chairman maintained.

The retired civil serviceman, recently been contracted to stay on PQA’s helm for two more years, thinks more in financial than humanitarian terms while dealing with the matter, which certainly would lead to joblessness in the poverty-stricken country.

“The privatization of berths number 5, 6 and 7 to QICT fetches us Rs1.5 billion only on account of royalty. Other heads added, it is going to stand at Rs 5 billion this year,” Agha said.

Similarly, he said, PQA’s annual average income during last five years from the two controversial berths ranged between Rs 90 and Rs 110 million.

“Since port’s inception in 1970s these seven berths are there. The said four berths are so old that these would collapse if we dredged them,” he explained.

However, when rented out to, what Agha said, a power generation firm, the two berths are estimated to generate for PQA $9.6 million or Rs 1 billion yearly.

“Like $ 2.29 per ton at PIBT (Pakistan International Bulk Terminal), they would pay us $ 2.40,” he said adding the proposed coal terminal, apart from PIBT, would cater to at least four million metric tons of imported coal for at least 3620 megawatts coal-fired power generation plants: 1320MW of Sahiwal, 1200MW of Jamshoro, 660MW of Lucky Cement, 110MW of Fauji Foundation and 330MW of Siddique Sons.

“Now tell me, what is better for us, the 1700 workers generating Rs 110 million only or at least Rs 1 billion these two berths would fetch us post privatization,” the chairman asked.

Tuesday is likely to see some breakthrough in the weeklong standoff between dockers and port authorities as Badshah said he was scheduled to meet the tough-talking PQA chief.

http://epaper.brecorder.com/2016/04/19/21-page/752451-news.html

OVER 4,000 OKARA TENANTS BOOKED FOR ‘INJURING POLICE’

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Dawn, April 19th, 2016

Aslam Pracha

OKARA: The Saddar and Cantt police on Monday registered separate cases against more than 4,000 tenants, including 155 nominated.

On the report of Saddar Station House Officer Inspector Abdullah Yousuf, a first information report was registered against more than 2,000 unidentified tenants of military farms with 96 of them nominated, including Abdul Jabbar, Asghar Ali, Muhammad Munir, Nadeem Abbas, Ghulam Ali, Muhammad Siddique and Muhammad Ashraf.

The case was registered under sections 324, 353, 436, 186, 337L2, F2, 290, 291, 148, 149 of the PPC, 16 MPO and 7 ATA.

It was alleged the tenants tried to block GT Road and spread panic in the area by firing indiscriminately that injured lady constables Malka Zahra, Aliya, sub-inspectors Akbar Javed and Saeed Khan and constables Arshad and Tauseef.

Similarly, on the report of Cantt Station House Officer Ashraf Qureshi, a case was registered against 2,000 unidentified tenants of whom 59 were nominated, including Abdus Sattar Chaman, Ghulam Ali, Asghar, Hasnain Ahmad, Yousuf, Ashraf, Haji Latif and Siddiq.

The case was registered under sections 427, 324, 155, 154, 353, 186, 504, 426, 148 and 149 of the PPC, 16 MPO, Arms Ordinance 13/20/65 and 7 ATA.

They were alleged to have damaged police vehicles, displayed weapons and fired indiscriminately and set crops on fire.

Meanwhile, the Anjumn Mazareen Punjab (AMP) withdrew their protest call given over the arrest of their General Secretary Mehr Abdul Sattar.

This was announced by AMP Media Adviser Noor Nabi while talking to this correspondent by phone on Monday evening.

He said during a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Monday, AMP activists along with human rights activists had decided they would protest against the arrest of Sattar the schedule of which was to be chalked out soon. He said they would not be protesting now in Okara and the call had been withdrawn.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1253058/over-4000-okara-tenants-booked-for-injuring-police

GOVT STOPS SALE OF GM CORN SEEDS AS PRESSURE BUILDS

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The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2016

Peer Muhammad

ISLAMABAD: As pressure mounts from agricultural scientists and farmers, the government has stopped the commercial sale of genetically modified (GM) corn seeds, in an about-turn after its earlier permission to certain multinational companies to market their seeds, but without meeting the basic criteria.

A federal secretary, who was part of a recent meeting held at the Ministry of Climate Change, told The Express Tribune that the stakeholders present in the huddle decided that the green signal for commercial sale of GM corn seeds would be taken back until a new decision in order to appease the scientists and farmers can be reached.

“The meeting participants agreed to look into the matter again and consider all aspects including implications for the agriculture sector,” a senior official said.

Already, the Ministry of Climate Change had awarded licences to different companies including prominent names like Monsanto and DuPont/Pioneer.

The government allowed the use of two varieties of GM corn seeds namely Insect Protection and Herbicide Tolerant. However, the ministry kept the matter secret and even minutes of a relevant meeting were not provided to the ministries and departments concerned because of fears that the information would be shared.

The move sparked criticism as the scientists and farmers asked how the government could give the approval without undertaking a large-scale open-field trial of the technology in Pakistan. They called it a violation of the national bio-safety laws and the international standard operating procedures.

Experts argue that no authority can approve the commercial sale of GM corn seeds or any other GM crop without a large-scale open-field trial and Pakistan has become a unique case where such approval has been given.

Commenting on the latest development, Monsanto official Aamir Mirza said the company had neither been invited to the last meeting nor had it been officially informed about the decision. “It may be their internal meeting and we have not got any information,” he said.

Mirza believes that the promotion of biotechnology will not only provide immediate benefits for the Pakistani farmers, but it will also send strong signals that the country is welcoming investments in research into cutting-edge technologies. “This will improve the agriculture sector’s international competitiveness over the long term,” he remarked.

Multinational companies claim that a monitoring sub-committee visited fields a number of times for the assessment of trial operations in every growing season in an attempt to collect data and evaluate compliance. The committee has been regularly submitting season-wise and yearly reports to a technical assessment body and relevant departments and ministries, they say.

However, the experts counter that GM corn or maize is a dangerous crop because of cross-pollination that can contaminate non-GM crops within a range of 500 metres.

The climate change minister came under pressure from certain companies and that led to the grant of licences in a clandestine manner, they say.

The scientists insist that instead of big field trials involving the farmers, small-scale tests in confined areas were conducted in certain government institutions and universities, which is entirely insufficient for meeting the standards for winning a licence for commercialisation of any technology.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1086260/appeasing-stakeholders-govt-stops-sale-of-gm-corn-seeds-as-pressure-builds/

Statement of the Farmer’s Constituency from APRCEM at the APFSD 2016

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Read By: Wali Haider, Roots for Equity, Pakistan & Focal Point of the Farmers Constituency

April 3, 2016

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Respected Chair, Excellences, Delegates. Colleagues from the UN Agencies, Major Groups and the CSOs

I am Wali Haidar from Roots for Equity, Pakistan representing Farmers’ Constituency at the Asia Pacific Regional CSOs Engagement Mechanism.

We heartily welcome the emphasis that Executive Secretary Ms. Shamshad Akhtar placed on the urgent need to remove poverty and hunger, in her opening remarks. Asia Pacific faces special and additional challenges with regard to poverty and hunger and in ensuring sustainable development. More than 65% of global population in hunger is located in Asia Pacific. While Goal 1 and Goal 2 has special emphasis on removing hunger and including food security, many other goals also touch upon the measures supporting this goal. However, we are concerned that well understood concept of food sovereignty, which connects sustainable agriculture, food security, self-sufficiency, synergistic relationship between the farmers and farming, and national sovereignty in terms of policy space on issues of food and agriculture has suffered an obvious oversight within the SDGs,

Dear Chair, Excellences and Friends,

Though we have enough food production to feed the global population, reportedly more than 800 million people lie in the vicious circle of hunger. If we are to consider nutritional and food safety aspect, the number of people having inadequate food will rise manifolds. Climate change impacts, poisoning of land with excessive use of chemical fertilizers and the pesticides, emphasis on industrial agriculture despite the fact that a number of studies including that from IAASTD saying that small and family farmers are the ones who feed the world. Lack of right to land and secure tenurial rights to the farmers and particularly women farmers, grabbing and subversion of agricultural land, neloliberal policies including economic, trade and aid policies adversely affecting rights and sovereignty of farmers, small food producers, indigenous people and fisherfolk etc.

The push for liberalization of agriculture under the WTO rules followed by a plethora of free trade agreements has provided global corporations market access to the developing countries, while agricultural products from developing countries are subject to various tariff and non tariff barriers in developed countries market. Farmers in developing countries also face hugely unequal playing field with large export oriented subsidies in developed countries, while food stocking programmes in poor and developing countries are under intense pressure by developed countries to be dismantled. Trade liberalization in its wake has allowed wide-spread practice of chemical intensive industrial agriculture, agro fuel production, and genetically engineered seeds and crops. Agriculture and food production being marked as a lucrative sector has resulted in a tsunami of land grabs. At the same time, the pursuance of mega development projects for economic development and climate change mitigations such as mega dams, mining, oil exploration, creation of national parks, high voltage transmission and distribution lines and pursuance of extractive industries and special economic zones in indigenous territories and other rural communities with subsequent militarization process has led to land alienation and destruction of survival sources, cultures and identity of indigenous peoples, small scale farmers, fishing communities.

We strongly recommend that APFSD roadmap must

Recognize indigenous people’s rights over their land and resources and take their free, prior and informed consent before pursuing any forms of development processes affecting their land.

Recognize and ensure land rights of small and landless farmers, including women farmers;

Land lease to the private sector including foreign sovereign states, corporations and investors should not be allowed, especially when land rights of small producers and communities are being violated;

Ensure the right to healthy, nutritious, culturally appropriate food for all.

Recognition and implementation of local and traditional knowledge systems for food and agricultural production to strengthen the livelihood, health of local communities and to conserve biodiversity;

Premised on food sovereignty, promote and implement sustainable agriculture practices in order to cope with climate crises and environmental catastrophe.

Eradication of toxic chemical agricultural production systems that are injurious to the health of all living-beings, pollute ecological systems and destroy biodiversity.

Economic growth model must be premised on ensuring decent livelihood that delivers a living wage to all small producers especially women.

Thank you for your attention.

Controversy over commercial use of GM corn seeds

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ASHFAK BOKHARI

A HEATED controversy is raging over whether or not the government has given a go-ahead to some multinationals to make commercial sale of GM corn seeds at a time when the Seed (Amendment) Bill, which allows it, has yet to be passed by the Senate.

The companies claim to have received a formal permission and licences from the Ministry of Climate Change. But in response to a point of order raised by an opposition MNA in the National Assembly a fortnight ago, two federal ministers Khurram Dastgir and Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan categorically denied that the government had given licence to any multinational company for commercial trial of GM (genetically modified) corn seeds. GM corn is stated to be a crop with serious side-effects because of cross-pollination that can contaminate other non-GM crops within a range of 200-500 metres.

The question that remains unanswered is which authorities have given permission to the seed companies. The National Bio-safety Centre, whose committee normally gives approval, is not functional these days and there is none to monitor the new technology and gather data.

However, the permission, if at all, has been given without conducting the required field trials of the GM seeds and this, the critics say, constitutes a clear violation of the national bio-safety laws and the international standard operating procedures. But Croplife, the industry’s representative body, insists that the authorities concerned have already given the go-ahead.

The country’s laboratories are not in a position to handle the situation and its institutions are also not capable of monitoring and regulating the GM corn crop.

Croplife also claims that the Technical Advisory Committee’s sub-committee for field monitoring visited all trial sites in each growing season for collecting data and assessing compliance. The reports for each season and each year were submitted to the relevant departments and ministries.

Besides, it said, the sub-committee for GM corn commercialisation had thoroughly reviewed all the field trial reports to assess the risk and concluded that GM corn is as safe as non-GM corn.

Maybe, instead of field trials involving farmers, some observers say, small-scale tests in confined areas were conducted in certain government institutions and universities. No insect resistance management programme was considered and no proper Refugia was planned. Refugia means a 5-10pc area covered by a crop where non-GM seeds are cultivated to delay resistance.

Monsanto, a leading US seed multinational, claims that the government had recently allowed commercialisation of its GM corn in Pakistan after a long and rigorous process starting from 2009. Aamir Mirza, CEO, of Monsanto Pakistan says that “the government has accepted our two technologies namely Insect Protection and Herbicide Tolerant.”

He said that a monitoring sub-committee had visited fields for assessment of trials a number of times in each growing season and during this period, the company had followed a proper procedure for seeking approval from the National Biodiversity Committee and it went for seed imports and field trials only after the approval was received.

A former chief of Environment Protection Agency, Asif Shuja, says the decision had been taken in haste by the government with no proper procedure followed or risk assessment carried out. This could raise grave problems in future.

The country’s laboratories, he says, are not in a position to handle the situation and its institutions are also not capable of monitoring and regulating the GM corn crop. There is need for a proper risk assessment of the new technology and to ascertain whether the manpower, institutions and system available at the moment could tackle the challenge.

Local seed industry officials are of the view that since the government has no option but to support the biotech industry because of political reasons, what is needed is a strong regulatory system to strengthen the biotech research and development activities.

According to the findings of the World Bank’s International Agency for Research on Cancer made public in March 2015, glyphosate — a chemical in herbicides that are widely used on GM crops — is ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’. Glyphosate is used in a US multinational’s branded herbicide Roundup Ready, which can be sprayed on crops that have been genetically modified to tolerate glyphosate.

Many Pakistani NGOs and farmer organisations have been opposing the GM technology for its anti-farmer bias and health risks. Many of them have written to the Senate’s chairman, asking him to reject the draft Seed Act 2014 and enact a new law in its place that protects the interests of small farmers who under the present bill could be fined and imprisoned for preserving, selling and exchanging seeds, a centuries-old tradition that has helped them produce grains in surplus.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, April 4th, 2016

http://www.dawn.com/news/1249740/controversy-over-commercial-use-of-gm-corn-seeds

Experts question approval of GM corn, cotton to be sold in market

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JAMAL SHAHID

ISLAMABAD: The government has approved over 100 varieties of genetically modified corn and cotton to be sold in the market, but the move has drawn concern from some agriculture experts.

They have argued that the regulatory system and national bio-safety laws, and the standard operating procedure for the commercialisation of genetically engineered technology have been ignored.

Defending the government, recently appointed Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, expressed his team’s confidence in the integrity of the approval process.

Experts say bio-safety laws, SOPs for commercialisation of genetically engineered technology have been ignored

He said: “The technical advisory committee (TAC), made up of agriculture scientists from around the country, recommended 113 varieties of GM corn and cotton for field-testing and commercialisation. All these recommendations have been approved.”

However, experts maintain that multinational seed producing companies had only conducted small scale two-year regulatory trials in confined fields at their premises.

These companies did not carry out large scale nationwide adaptability trials before selling genetically modified technologies to local farmers as required under international and national laws.

The trials are necessary to check the performance of genetically engineered seeds in domestic environments and assess the risk of imported genetically modified technologies on the local environment and on humans.

“A unique example has been set in the world, where no risk assessment has been conducted of genetically engineered technologies,” a senior official from the Pakistan Agriculture Research Centre (PARC) said.

One of the main concerns of many agriculture experts is that the approved varieties of genetically modified corn and cotton contain herbicide-resistant gene. The PARC official said: “These GM technologies require extensive pesticide sprays, such as Roundup glyphosate, to kill pests and control weeds. Over 34 species of weed have developed resistance against glyphosate around the world, causing super weeds to develop.”

Last year, the World Health Organisation announced that glyphosate, which is a key ingredient in pesticides such as the Roundup herbicide, is a human carcinogen.

PTI MNA Dr Arif Alvi also expressed concerns over the matter in parliament last week. In response to his questions, both Commerce Minister Khuram Dastagir Khan and Minister for National Food Security and Research Malik Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan stated that multinational seed and pesticide production companies were not permitted to market their genetically modified technologies.

However, the country head of the multinational genetically modified seed production company Dupont, Nadeem Mirza, told Dawn that his company can now sell new genetically modified corn seed technologies to farmers.

Aamir M Mirza, the country head at Monsanto, said: “Large scale trials could not be carried out until these technologies, tested and approved in other countries, were approved by local authorities. Large scale trials will now be done after the government has permitted us.”

PTI’s Dr Alvi has said he will move a breach of privilege motion for being mislead in parliament.

“Genetically engineered seed technologies have not been tested in large scale areas. GM corn is a highly cross-pollinating crop and can contaminate other, non-GM crops. GM technologies might be the need of the future, but all the safeguards must be followed before alien varieties of crops are introduced in Pakistan that can endanger its indigenous strategic crops,” he said.

Some of the first countries to adopt genetically engineered cotton, such as India, China and Australia, have not allowed genetically modified corn to be grown on their soil, fearing health and environmental hazards.

Dr Inayatullah, who has a PhD in Entomology (pest control) from the Oklahoma State University, said that once sown, genetically modified crops such as corn will interfere with indigenous crop varieties and harm the natural evolutionary process. He argued that genetically modified varieties would give rise to new pests that would likely endanger Pakistan’s indigenous crops, particularly sugarcane, rice, wheat and sorghum.

“GM crops trigger allergies, diabetes and cancer. This is true in America, one of the largest consumers of GM foods and highest numbers of diabetes and cancer patients,” he said.

Experts have said that in 2014, multinationals had asked to import genetically modified corn and cotton seeds from the United States and the Philippines for large scale testing to assess environmental and health hazards. According to documents available with Dawn, they were not given permission.

In 2014, the Lahore High Court ordered the climate change ministry not to issue licences and no-objection certificates for the trial and commercialisation of genetically modified technologies.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2016

http://www.dawn.com/news/1248351/experts-question-approval-of-gm-corn-cotton-to-be-sold-in-market

March 29 Day of the Landless

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Press Release:

 NO TO LAND GRAB!

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity along with Asian Peasant Coalition and other Asian organizations has celebrated the Global Day of the Landless under the theme “Heighten the struggle against global land grabbing! Resist Imperialist Plunder on Land and Resources!” This day marks the struggles of millions of farmers across the globe who have been evicted forcefully. A vast majority of these evicted farmers are those who lived in these lands for many generations.

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To mark the Day of the Landless, PKMT held a protest in front of the Lahore Press Club on March 29, 2016. At the protest, Raja Mujeeb, National Coordinator, PKMT stated that thousands of farmers across Pakistan were facing forceful evictions faced because of the ongoing land grab prompted by the Pakistani government for promoting corporate agriculture, free trade zones and so called development projects. Farmers from many districts of Punjab participated in the protest including farmers from Rakh Azmat Wala, Rajanpur who face forcefully eviction from lands they have tilled for nearly a century.  Tariq Mehmood, Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KPK) Provincial Coordinator, PKMT stated that the KPK government has issued notifications in Hattar, Haripur to evict farmers from 1,000 acres of land for the development of Hattar Economic Zone. These farmers had been tilling this land for many decades and the notification will result in at least a thousand families to be evicted forcefully. According to Hakim Gul, Sindh PKMT member, the Sindh government had also embarked on similar imperialist land grab policies –huge chunks of land is being allotted to foreign corporations for corporate agriculture and building energy power plants.

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Zahoor Joya, Punjab Provincial Coordiantor PKMT stated that the Punjab government and their touts were forcefully evicting the farmers of Rakh Azmat Wala in Rajanpur. These farmers since March 2015 have not been allowed to sow any crops; it is tragic that instead of giving state land to the landless, the state is deliberately taking away land from settled farming communities. Kabir Khan a member of the Committee Rakh Azmat, representing the farmers from Rakh Azmat Wala, stated: “We have not been able to grow wheat, our food crop for two seasons and cash crops such as cotton and tobacco which are our only means of livelihood. At the same time, our livestock is also dying from hunger and thirst. All because the state is not allowing us to grow crops and fodder on our own lands.” Other Committee Rakh Azmat members elaborated that the British in the 1920s had promised them land entitlements to this land which their ancestors had converted to tillable land; false promises that were continued over the decades – even the current government officials had promised land entitlement in lieu of votes. But after their government was formed they have actually conspired to snatch 3581 acres of land from Rakh Azmat Wala community to give to foreign corporations and powerful political families.

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Today, due to land grab, thousands of evicted farmers in Pakistan are facing loss of livelihood, hunger and misery. Land, instead of being provided to the landless is being handed over to corporations and foreign investments. PKMT and Committee Rakh Azmat demands that the Punjab Government should immediately put a stop to steps being taken for evicting the Rakh Azmat farmers. In addition, the act of land evictions from the entire country should be stopped and instead equitable land distribution should be carried out in order to attain food sovereignty and national sovereignty.

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Released by Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek and Committee Rakh Azmat Wala;

Urdu Press Release

29 March Landless Day Urdu Press Release

News Paper Coverage Links

http://e.thenews.com.pk/lahore/3-30-2016/page14.asp

http://e.jang.com.pk/03-30-2016/lahore/pic.asp?picname=02_01.jpg

http://e.dunya.com.pk/index.php?e_name=LHR&edate=2016-03-30&page=9

http://lahore.ausaf.pk/?p=14285

http://dailypakistan.com.pk/E-Paper/Lahore/2016-03-30/page-9/detail-4

http://epaper.dailykhabrain.com.pk/popup.php?newssrc=issues/2016-03-30/7328/falha.JPG

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Tragedy of Infant mortality from drought in Thar

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Press Release

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) while addressing a protest on the issue of malnutrition and child mortality in Thar due to lack of food. The protestors expressed serious concern over the dreadful situation of Thar. Leaders of PKMT said that New Year comes with the promises of happiness in the world but in Thar, a district of Sindh, comes with reports of hunger, poverty, malnutrition and death which added difficulties in the life of Thar residents.

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Estimation of infant mortality is calculated from the records of public hospitals while there is no record of deaths from remote areas. It should be clarify that the so called nominal aid is only able to reach just around Mithi and other tehseel’s headquarters while waiting children of suburbs died without getting assistance. Much of the deaths are accounted for the reasons of food shortage.

It is clear that drought and lack of food are neither spontaneous nor impossible to solve. As in previous years, this year government again claimed that the crisis in Thar is not related to malnutrition and lack of food but the children deaths due to pneumonia and other diseases while facts told quite another story. National Federation Survey showed 70 percent of mothers are suffering from vitamin A deficiency in Sindh, almost half of children failed to develop their mental and physical stability and 40% of children weighs less than their age. According to the World Food Program most of Tharparker’s population suffers from food insecurity that has been living on food shortage. Nutritional deficiencies among women and children reduced immunity then they are easily prone to disease. These facts clearly show that poverty, unemployment and food scarcity are the main causes of Thar issue, leading child mortality and other complexities.

‘Some NGOs have started various activities to address nutritional deficiencies in children’ for PKMT ‘this is not the permanent and sustainable solution of this issue’. According to locals, once 50kg of wheat’s sack in three or five months provided by the provincial government doesn’t solve of their hunger, poverty, starvation and many other problems. They want that decent jobs to fulfill their nutritional needs. Drought has caused the extinction of animal fodder and many lost their cattle & livestock which were the main sources of getting food.

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Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) believes that the foundations of this crisis due to unfair distribution of wealth in society where the weakest class is deprived of employment because of not having access to productive resources. Majority of farmers do not have their own land which is the major cause and needs permanent solution. PKMT demands permanent transfer of power to the country’s poor majority through just and equitable distribution of land because this is the only durable solution to food insecurity and livelihood.

PKMT strongly demands comprehensive, genuine and practical steps to tackle the crises of food and unemployment in Tharparkar as soon as possible.

23 march 16 press releas sukkur urdu2 copy 23 march 2016 pr sindhi1 copy