LAHORE, March 11: The Pakistan Social Forum condemned here on Thursday the latest attack on tenants of the Multan military farm.

Ms Hina Jilani and Shahtaj of AGHS, flanked by Farooq Tariq of the Labour Party and David Zahid of the Anjuman-i-Mazareen Punjab, said the miscreants in the farm administration on Tuesday attacked tenants at Qasba 19 and tried to drive them out of their residents.

The attack came in the wake of the annual convention in Khanewal. "This is a kind of state terrorism, she said, and added: "The government must arrest the attackers and pay compensation to the victims for their loss of property."

She said 40 offenders, prompted by the military farm administration, stormed into the house of AMP (Multan) President Malik Habib and started throwing household items out. The armed men also manhandled women.

The tenants from other villages tried to save their colleagues, but they also were attacked. As a result, eight people, two of them women, were injured and hospitalized.

Mr Farooq Tariq said if the government had any problems with the tenants, it must go to a civil court to get some decision instead of resorting to the state force. "It must set up a judicial commission to look into the whole issue."

He said fake cases had been registered against thousands of tenants. Mr Tariq feared oppression would grow in the coming days of wheat crop, as the state agencies would try to get their share from the tenants.