Protestors in Kalat, Balochistan, intercepted trucks carrying tomatoes on Friday and disposed of them in dissent of the government’s decision to import them from Iran.
Several farm owners and farmers congregated in the town of Mangochar and blocked the Quetta-Karachi national highway with boulders and barricades, which also suspended the flow of traffic. While chanting slogans, they declared that they would not let tomatoes be imported from Iran as their own harvests are ready for market delivery. They also either stole or damaged thousands of kilograms of the produce, and hurled the crates onto the road.
During protest & blocking main highway, protesters in #Manguchar #Kalat #Balochistan are disposing/ wasting tomatoes 🍅 & onions imported from neighbouring country #Iran in order to control prices that had hone up because of flood devastation, pic.twitter.com/fF9s1B9a90
— 🦉🦉 (@Info_Balochistn) September 8, 2022
Officials from the local administration and Balochistan Levies personnel soon arrived and attempted to control the protesters.
It was also learned that the protest organizer – the Balochistan Zamindars Association – condemned the rioters for destroying the tomatoes and has dissociated itself from the act of vandalism.
Its representative, Haji Abdul Aziz, declared, “We have nothing to do with the incident,” and clarified that the protest was intended to be peaceful.
The association explained that importing produce from Iran and Afghanistan will jeopardize local growers who already have market-ready harvests and will put them into financial losses.
It has also urged the government to cease such imports until the local tomato crop is ready to be sold in the market.
In related news, a video of one of the protestors destroying the tomatoes also went viral online. The Commissioner of Kalat, Daud Khilji, stated that the suspect was arrested after he was identified in the same video, and an investigation is underway. He added that more raids are also being conducted to arrest the other vandals.
Several trucks carrying tomatoes and onions from Iran and Afghanistan reached Pakistan via the Taftan and Chaman border crossing, which led to a dip in the costly prices of both vegetables in the local market.
The price hikes are attributed to the recent flash floods that ruined large portions of crops, because of which the government allowed them to be imported from the neighboring countries to reduce their costs.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has also waived off the taxes and levies on the import of tomatoes and onions for three months in cognizance of the situation and the need to make the produce that is used to prepare daily meals available for the masses.
Roger that
protest k mulkhtalif tareeke hotay hain lekin khanay walay rizq ko zaaya karna? hamaray mulk k sath jo ho raha hah shayad hum is k hi liaq hain….