PESHAWAR: The farmers and workers of various political parties held a demonstration here on Monday against arrest of tenants and eviction of peasants from their houses in Charsadda district.

The demonstration was held under the auspices of Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP) outside Peshawar Press Club that was led by the leaders of different parties.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands, the protesters urged the government to withdraw amendments to the state acquisition and tenancy law to enable the peasants to return to their homes.

MKP leaders threaten to launch full-fledged campaign

Speaking on the occasion, MKP chairman Afzal Khamoosh, information secretary Shakeel Waheedullah Khan and others voiced concerns over eviction and arrest of tenants and peasants in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under State Acquisition and Tenancy (Amendment) Act, 2014 and described it injustice with the poor farmers.

They said that a number of farmers and political activists were arrested as they had protested the forced eviction of peasants. They demanded of the government to release the detained peasants and political activists at the earliest.

The speakers said that growers were evicted forcibly following implementation of the relevant law during the previous provincial government.

They said that earlier courts had decided cases regarding tenants in the light of an agreement inked between peasants and landowners in 1950.

Mr Khamoosh said that the new tenancy law was passed by the previous provincial assembly in haste and without consent of relevant stakeholders.

He said that the law was misused by landowners. He said that a large number of tenants and agriculture workers were evicted in different parts of the province.

He also condemned arrest of some of the political activists and said that police action against farmers might create law and order situation. He demanded immediate halt to police action against tenants.

“We will launch a campaign by setting up protest camps in all major cities of the country and would also convene an all-party conference if government doesn’t stop action against the poor farmers,” said the speakers.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018