MULTAN, Oct 3: The management of the Okara military farms has allegedly started laying off its dairy farms employees who are relatives of tenants demanding ownership of land.

According to an Anjuman Mazareen Punjab press release issued here on Friday, the military farm management had so far dismissed some 50 officials, labelling them as ‘anti-state’.

A majority of the sacked officials had been serving the farms for the last 20 to 25 years.

The AMP release claimed that the notices served to the laid-off officials even mentioned that they were relatives of the tenants who were involved in ‘anti-state’ activities.

Most of the fired employees are watchmen, milkmen, sweepers and porters.

The release further alleged that some of the dismissed employees were first detained by the rangers for several weeks and on their release from the custody of paramilitary force they were told that they had been sacked for being absent from their duties.

It is learnt that a dozen of the retrenched farm employees have moved a local court against their dismissal.

The AMP has urged the president and BV&FC director-general to intervene and order reinstatement of the poor employees.