MULTAN, May 7: The Okara police released on Wednesday five of the tenants they had arrested a few days ago reportedly after getting the lease money against their tenancy lands.

Lumberdar Shanghara Masih, Shaimoon, Bin Yamin, Sadiq, Emanuel and Haneef were arrested on Thursday last by a joint team of the area police and the Rangers from the Okara military farms. Two days later, the law-enforcers also picked up Abdul Jabbar, Mohammed Akram and Mohammed Sajjad.

The lumberdar was later released when he signed a lease deed with the farm management under coercion. The military farms’ tenants had staged a sit-in on Sunday to press the authorities to release the arrested tenants.

On Monday, the police and the Rangers baton-charged and opened fire at the protesting tenants, injuring several people, including five women.

Thereafter, the authorities initiated dialogues with the tenants and Okara Tehsil Nazim Nadeem Rabeera was given the job of mediator. At the same time, the police had registered two separate cases against 93 tenants for what they called rioting and attacking people and the law-enforcement agents.

The five tenants were released on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. Some locals said the tenants had to pay lease to secure their release.

While the remaining three tenants, who did not succumb to pressure tactics, were presented in an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Wednesday by the Okara police, seeking their physical remand in Suleman Masih murder case.

Suleman, 20, was shot dead on Aug 24 last year when the ‘law-enforcers’ had opened fire at a gathering of tenants in Okara. However, a murder case was registered against the tenants’ leaders and the police unveiled a series of arrests under cover of the ongoing investigation into the case.

The Lahore ATC, however, denied remand in police custody of Abdul Jabbar, Akram and Sajjad and sent them to Sahiwal jail and judicial custody. Sajjad, 14, is a student of ninth class.

On the other hand, the Anjuman Mazareen Punjab (Okara zone) held a meeting to review the situation emerging in the face of growing ‘state oppression’. The Anjuman will spell out its future line of action on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Okara police have named journalist Sarwar Mujahid in the cases registered against tenants of the Okara Military Farms.

He is Okara correspondent of an Urdu daily and a staunch supporter of tenants’ movement to get ownership rights against their tenancy lands.