Farmers' agitation: SC asks high-powered committee to submit recommendations
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday asked a high-powered committee, which was constituted to amicably resolve the grievances of the farmers who held an agitation at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana in 2024, to submit its report-cum-recommendations.
The farmers were protesting over a plethora of demands, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the matter involving the blockade of highways, particularly at the Shambhu border, stands resolved and vehicles are plying there without any obstruction.
"It seems to us that the matter is now ripe to close these proceedings. This can be done after obtaining a report from the high-powered committee containing their brief suggestions, which can then be forwarded to the appropriate authorities," the bench said.
"We impress upon the committee to submit its report-cum-recommendations...," it added.
The bench said the report-cum-recommendations should be in a sealed cover and the committee would not divulge its content in the public domain until further orders of the court.
The five-member high-powered committee is headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nawab Singh.
In September 2024, observing that the farmers' protest should not be politicised, the apex court constituted the committee to amicably resolve their grievances.
The top court had said the issues facing the farmers should not be politicised and be considered by the committee in a phased manner.
The court had passed the order while hearing the Haryana government's plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court's March 2024 order, asking it to remove within a week the barricades erected at the Shambhu border, near Ambala, where the protesting farmers were camping since February 13, 2024.
The Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February 2024, after the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced that the farmers would march to Delhi in support of their demands.
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What is Iran’s 10-point plan? Key demands ahead of US talks in Islamabad
Tehran/Islamabad: Iran has outlined a 10-point plan as the basis for upcoming talks with the United States, expected to begin in Islamabad on April 11, according to a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.
The plan lays out Tehran’s key political, military and economic demands, and is being seen as a framework for negotiations following the recent escalation in the region.
Strait of Hormuz at the centre
A major focus of the plan is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Iran has proposed “controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces,” which it says would give the country a unique economic and geopolitical position.
The plan also calls for the “establishment of a safe transit protocol” in the Strait that would guarantee Iran’s dominance under an agreed mechanism.
Call to end conflict
Iran has demanded “the necessity of ending the war against all elements of the axis of resistance,” signalling its expectation that hostilities should stop not only in Iran but also involving allied groups in the region.
US troop withdrawal
Another key demand is the “withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases and deployment points in the region,” indicating Tehran’s long-standing position against American military presence in West Asia.
Sanctions relief and compensation
The plan places strong emphasis on economic measures. It calls for “full payment of Iran’s damages according to estimates,” along with “the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council.”
It also seeks “the release of all Iranian assets and properties frozen abroad,” which have been a major point of contention for years.
Binding global guarantee
Finally, Iran has demanded that all these terms be formally recognised through “a binding Security Council resolution,” suggesting it wants international legal backing to ensure enforcement.
What this means
The 10-point plan reflects Iran’s broader push for security guarantees, economic relief and regional influence. The upcoming talks in Islamabad are expected to test how far both sides are willing to negotiate on these demands.
