Lahore [Pakistan], April 14: Widespread protests broke out across Pakistan on Sunday, as farmers voiced strong opposition to corporate farming practices, the construction of six new canals on the Indus Rive, the absence of a minimum support price (MSP) for wheat, and the proposed privatisation of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), according to Dawn.
Led by the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (PKRC), demonstrations took place in over 30 towns and cities, including Islamabad, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Larkana, Mardan, and Malakand. The PKRC launched the campaign to resist what it described as a “corporate takeover of agriculture” and the continued marginalisation of small-scale farmers.
Speaking at a protest in Kacha Khu, PKRC Secretary General Farooq Tariq condemned the government’s move to lease out 1.7 million acres of farmland to private corporations. He argued that such policies threaten local food systems, displace small farmers, and favor profit-driven models over sustainability and social justice. Tariq called for agrarian reforms, including fair land ownership laws in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants.
Riffat Maqsood, PKRC’s women’s leader, highlighted the urgent need for a minimum support price of PKR 4,000 per 40 kg of wheat and insisted on continuing public grain procurement to protect farmers from market instability. Meanwhile, in Bahawalpur, activists Farooq Ahmad and Razia Khan opposed the proposed construction of six canals on the Indus River, arguing the project would serve corporate interests in Cholistan at the expense of local communities.
Pakistan’s farming community is grappling with a perfect storm of challenges—from climate change-induced floods and droughts to soaring input costs and diminishing government support. Critics argue that corporate farming and privatisation efforts like those involving PASSCO could leave millions of smallholders at risk, potentially jeopardizing rural livelihoods and national food security.