Opposition PPP plans massive protest against urea shortage
Jan 26, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], January 26 : Amid urea shortage and other economic hardships faced by the farmers in the country, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday announced a massive protest against the Imran Khan government.
The PPP announced that it would stage a sit-in outside Karachi Press Club on Jan 30 to protest against a massive hike in the prices of essential products, including petrol and electricity, and also against shortage of gas and fertiliser in the country, reported The Nation.
This announcement was made during the Kissan March which was held in Karachi and other parts of Sindh on the appeal of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to protest against urea shortage.
The agricultural sector has been suffering in recent years, especially during the pandemic as Pakistan faces serious food insecurity challenges.
Compounding these issues are the effects of climate change as crop yields have been adversely affected. The situation is made more severe by already strained water availability that is expected to worsen over the coming decades, reported The Nation.
The PPP is attempting to spin the narrative that the Imran Khan-led PTI government is insensitive to the plight of farmers and is responsible for the current urea shortage.
Leaders of the PPP have stated that these protests, along with the farmers, will continue in the province till February 27 when Bhutto-Zardari would lead a long march from the city to Islamabad against the grievances of the farmers.
The demands of farmers are legitimate as they claim that they have not been getting adequate prices for their produce and are now being forced to stand in lines and pay high prices for sourcing fertiliser, reported The Nation.
This strategy could work well for the PPP in terms of applying further pressure on the PTI government given the street power farmers possess.
