MULTAN, June 5: The Muzaffargarh police on Thursday disposed of cases allegedly registered against some 12 tenants of the provincial lands in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed area at the behest of MPA Rai Mansab.
Scores of tenants had protested against the ‘excesses’ of the MPA on May 29 last demanding withdrawal of what they said fabricated cases registered against tenants. Justice and Peace Commission and other organizations had also taken part in the protest to express solidarity with tenants.
A delegation of tenants and right activists had met Muzaffargarh Zila Nazim Malik Sultan Hinjra to seek his help against the MPA’s ‘reign of terror’.
The agricultural lands of the provincial government in Chak 547/TDA of Chowk Sarwar Shaheed area had been cultivated by some 500 families of tenants since partition.
According to the tenants, Rai Mansab had started claiming his proprietary rights over the official land through ‘fake documents’ about a decade ago.
To fulfil his nefarious designs, the MPA allegedly employed all coercive methods, including the lodging of fabricated cases against tenants in connivance with the police.
When tenants brought the matter to the notice of Muzaffargarh district Nazim, he assured them that he would direct the district police authorities to withdraw the cases if they were fabricated.
SDPO Kot Addu Iqbal Kaisrani called the tenants in his office on June 3 and told them that the cases had been withdrawn. He also assured them that now the police would not harass them in future.
MMA: The Seraikistan Qaumi Inqalabi Party has urged the MMA government in the NWFP to focus its attention on eliminating poverty, illiteracy, economic injustice and tribalism instead of imposing ‘Taliban-brand’ of Islam.
In a press statement issued here on Thursday, SQIP Chief Mansoor Karim Siyal said that ‘Talibanised’ policies of the NWFP government would prove disastrous for society and the people.
Terming MMA the legacy of general Ziaul Haq, Mr Siyal said that theocrats were pushing the country backward.
He also accused the military junta of harbouring the MMA. He urged the MMA leadership to respect democratic norms and the needs of modern day society.
ACCIDENT: Four policemen and two accused in a kidnap for ransom case were injured in a road accident on the Multan-Bahawalpur Road here on Thursday.
A police party of Kehror Pucca, Lodhran district, comprising ASI Akram and constables Saeed Ahmad, Talib Husain and Nazar Mohammed was on its way back to Bahawalpur jail after presenting Iqbal and Ramzan before the Multan Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 when a trailer hit their vehicle near Basti Lar. The police van overturned and both the policemen and the accused sustained serious injuries. An official of the ATC, Shafqat, was also injured in the accident.
The injured were removed to the Nishtar Hospital where the condition of Saeed, Talib, Shafqat and Ramzan was stated to be critical.