November 26, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 20, 1423

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MULTAN, Nov 25: The Anjuman Mazareen Punjab has urged parliament to take note of the abuse of authority by Rangers and police against tenants of state-owned farms.

An executive committee meeting of the AMP was held here on Monday at the Pirowal farms of the Punjab Seed Corporation in Khanewal district. Representatives of Rawalpindi-based People’s Rights Movement were also present at the meeting.

Discussing the situation of the 21 state-owned agricultural and livestock farms in the province, the meeting expressed concern over the ongoing harassment and arbitrary arrests at the Okara Military Farm and the Sahiwal Maize Farm.

It was observed that ‘law enforcers’ were using all pressure tactics to force tenants of Okara and Sahiwal to lease contracts instead of demanding ownership rights.

A concern was also expressed over the fate of the nine AMP activists of the Okara farms held at the Sahiwal jail after being charged under various ‘draconian’ laws, including anti-terrorism. Their right to get bails was being continuously denied to pressurize them to part ways with the AMP.

The meeting said tenants of Okara farms had voted Rao Sikandar Iqbal and the Pirowal tenants to Hamid Yar Hiraj, and now both had been given slots in the federal cabinet. “We hope these ministers will help resolve the tenants’ issue,” the meeting observed, saying an AMP delegation will soon meet the ministers to remind them their promises.

MOBILE CAMPS: The Pakistan Telecommunication Limited, Multan region, has chalked out a plan under its one-window operation to set up mobile camps to commission telephone connections within 24 hours.

According to a press release of MTR issued on Monday, a camp will be set up on Nov 25 and 26 from 12 noon to 3pm at Khuni Burj; on Nov 27 and 28 at Shaheen Market; and from Dec 2 to 5 at Mall Plaza in the cantonment area.

Residents of Gulgashat Colony, Block B, Block C, Multan Public School Road, Pir Khursheed Colony, Usmanabad, Officer Colony, Ahmadabad Tehsil Chowk, Gol Bagh, Ittehad Colony, CHA Korreywala and CHA Usmanwala could get connections from the camps set up from Tuesday to Thursday at Gol Bagh Chowk up to Eidul Fitr from 10am to 12 noon; and at Tehsil Chowk camp which will be set up from Dec 10 to 31 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.