The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would take part in farmers’ protest in Punjab against the wheat procurement policy of the provincial government, party MNA Asad Qaiser said on Monday.

“I ask all leaders to take part in the protest,” he said in his speech on the floor of the house.

Farmers in different parts of Punjab took to streets as what they say the Punjab government and the Agriculture Department failed to enforce the wheat support price in the open market.

Punjab contributes more than 75% of the total wheat harvest, according to media reports and this year the market crashed and growers are forced to sell the staple food crop much below the support price set by the government.

Qaiser’s announcement came as the provincial government placed blockades at different places to block the farmers protest outside the Punjab Assembly.

Without naming the PTI, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari claimed that a particular party wanted to politicise the matter.

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Qaiser, the former National Assembly speakers, reminded the august House that his party used to take in confidence before taking such decisions

“There is a big crisis of wheat and farmers are concerned. I will demand that a one or two days should be fixed for this and a discussion should be held on this,” he said and announced that his party would take part in the protest.

“I request all my MNAs to sit in those protests and raise their voice and hopefully we won’t leave them alone,” the PTI leader said.

In his speech, he also raised the issue that his party was not allowed to hold rallies and protests by the government. Qaiser claimed that several members of the party were arrested by the government.