Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, organized jointly by Mehnat Kash Labour Federation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashtkar Coordination Council, Sarhad Agriculture and Rural Development Organisation (SARDO), Kissan Board, Anjuman-e-Kashtkaran and Mehnat Kash Labour Federation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the growers' leaders said the proposed levy on tobacco farmers completely unjust and unacceptable to them.
Provincial President of Mehnatkash Labour Federation Ibrarullah said that the government's move to impose Rs 300 per kg on tobacco growers would bring a severe financial burden on the growers and labourers. He said that non-elimination of the proposed levy on tobacco growers will bring economic death to working class.
Ibrarullah urged the government to fulfil its promise of eliminating Rs 300 tax on tobacco growers and impose the levy on multinational tobacco companies.
"The tobacco production decreased to 70 million kilogram from 140kg in last four years due to discriminatory policy," he claimed.