SWABI: The chairman of Tobacco Growers Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday claimed that Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had promised to resolve farmers’ problems on a priority basis.

Daud Jan Khan was briefing mediapersons at the Swabi Press Club about the association leaders’ meeting with Mr Kundi at the Governor’s House, Peshawar.

He declared that the current year seemed to be the worst year for the growers for all tobacco growing districts of the province.

Mr Khan said that a seven-member delegation met with the governor and apprised him of the ‘exploitative’ policies of the tobacco purchasing companies, both national and multinational.

He said the growers’ leaders also informed Mr Kundi that tobacco exports had dwindled because of harassment of small dealers by the Federal Board of Revenue officials.

Mr Khan said that Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) was supposed to monitor the sale and purchase of the tobacco crop but it had failed to bind the companies to abide by the agreements with the farmers, which was a flagrant violation of the tobacco marketing law, known as Martial Law Order (MLO) 487.

“PTB has also failed to ensure proper utilisation of the cess on development of the tobacco growing regions,” he deplored.

Flanked by other leaders of the association, he said PTB was established for the rights of growers but it did not play its due role.

The association’s chairman said that it was surprising that after the devolution of powers under the 18th Amendment, PTB was still functioning under the federal ministry of national food security and research.

He said that Governor Kundi assured them of organising a growers’ meeting with the officials of the companies and PTB at the Governor’s House after Eidul Fitr.

He vowed: “We will continue our struggle for the rights of growers, who face exploitation at the hands of purchasing firms.”

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2026