September 22, 2002	Sunday	Rajab 14, 1423

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MULTAN, Sept 21: Leaders of the Okara military farm tenants surrendered and agreed to sign the lease contracts with the farm management.

The three-year-long struggle to get ownership rights of the small pieces of agricultural land which they (tenants) have been cultivating for nearly a century, ended on Saturday when Anjuman Mazareen Punjab president Abdul Jabbar and other office-bearers met Col Salim to inform the Rangers authorities that they could not live anymore under siege.

It was the red letter day for the Rangers authorities who were entrusted with the task to crush the tenants’ revolt. The law enforcers allegedly took a number of lives during the siege.

When contacted, Mr Jabbar said they had agreed to sign the seven-year lease under protest.

He said they could not suffer further casualties, criminal cases, arrests, torture and siege. “We cannot fight against the military power,” he added in a grim voice.

He reiterated that the law enforcers were compelling them to sign the contracts at gunpoint.

He said the desire to get ownership rights of the land they have been cultivating would remain not only in their hearts but also in their children’s heart.

Talking to Dawn, Mazareen senior vice-president Dr Christopher John said the struggle for ownership rights would not be stopped with the decision of Okara military farms.

He said the Anjuman still demanded that only the Punjab government should negotiate with the tenants of 21 state-managed agricultural and livestock farms in the province and that it condemned coercive tactics used by the law enforcers.

Meanwhile, noted right activist Ms Asma Jahangir along with a delegation visited Okara military farms on Saturday and met both the tenants leaders and the Rangers authorities to resolve the stand-off.

The surrender was a hard pill to swallow for the family of Suleman Masih, 20, allegedly tortured to death by the law enforcers on Aug 24 after his arrest during a clash between tenants and Rangers and police. The law enforcers, however, lodged the case of his murder against the tenants’ leaders.

It is learnt that Suleman’s family had strongly protested against the decision.

“I tried to convince them that I took the decision to save lives of several other Sulemans but they were Aghast,” said Mr Jabbar.