OKARA, May 21: Tenants on Saturday withdrew at the last moment their decision to hold negotiations with Federal Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal. They said they had changed their mind after receiving a call from a minister’s spokesman, who did not sound optimistic about acceptance of their demands.

Rao Sikandar, on the direction of President Pervez Musharraf, had called a meeting at his residence to resolve the military farms’ land issue after negotiations with the tenants.

Headed by Younis Iqbal Masih, the founder chairman of his own faction of the Anjuman-i-Mazareen Punjab, a group of tenants has been demanding alternative residences with ownership rights and agricultural lands in Pippli Pehar tehsil, Deepalpur (Okara), and in Peerowal tehsil (Khanewal).

They also demand that cases should be withdrawn against those, who accept the package.

Younis Masih told journalists on Saturday that the group had decided not to attend the meeting after a government official did not respond positively when he iterated his stand and sought an assurance that the demands would be met.

He said he had made it clear to the official that the tenants would attend the meeting only on the assurance that they would be given alternative lands.

It is learnt that the federal minister, later, flew to Islamabad.

Meanwhile, AMP provincial information secretary David Zahid told journalists that the tenants of Chak 15/4-L and Chak 11/4-L were bearing the brunt of the situation and they should directly plead their case.

The tenants’ refusal arose fears of tension as a police team, led by City Circle DSP Syed Nazir Husain Shah, patrolled the GT Road and village areas.