July 31, 2006	Monday	Rajab 4, 1427

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LAHORE, July 30: The Anjuman Kissan Mutasareen Mercedez-Benz staged a demonstration near the Lahore Press Club here on Sunday to condemn the `forced’ acquisition of 1,200 acres of land by the Punjab government for the establishment of a luxury car plant.

A large number of Kot Pindi Das farmers and their families took part in the demonstration. They were raising slogans and carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against acquisition of their land for a car plant, golf club and luxury hotel against their will.

PPP MPA Samiullah Khan also participated in the demonstration and assured the affectees of full support of his party in their struggle.

Speaking on the occasion, Anjuman chairman Chaudhry Nazir Ahmed and president Rana Ehsanul Haq said that the provincial government had issued a notification for acquiring 1,200 acres for a company “in public interest.” The unknown company with registered assets of only Rs10 million planned to install a Mercedez car plant and build a five-star hotel, magic city and a golf club on the land at a cost of Rs56 billion.

Anjuman secretary-general Rana Asjad Farooq, Mubarik Shah and Muhammad Yaqub Kamboh said a number of Kot Pindi Das farmers had migrated to Pakistan after independence. The Punjab government was now trying to compel them to migrate once again for giving their land to the car company. They said that they would resist all attempts to deprive them of their land.

Labour Party secretary-general Farooq Tariq said the provincial government was misusing its authority to help an unknown company grab the valuable land at nominal prices. He said his party fully supported Kot Pindi Das farmers in their struggle to protect their land.

He said the provincial government would have to face a movement similar to that of Okara Military Farms in case it insisted on depriving the farmers of their land against their will.