LAHORE, March 4: Scores of tenants of military farms have been daily observing hunger strike since Feb 11 in Okara but the government has not yet taken note of their plea.
A meeting of the Board of Revenue chaired by Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool here on Monday discussed various land issues except the military and livestock farms in the province.
At least 600,000 people (tenants and their families) are associated with these farms spread over 68,000 acres of land located in Okara, Renala Khurd, Multan, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Arifwala, Lahore, Faisalabad and Khanewal.
The hunger strike was started to protest the killing of a tenant, Bashir, of Chak 20/RB by the armed men allegedly sent by the administrator of the Renala Estate, on Jan 7 last. Five women and two men were also injured in the attack.
At least 100 armed men had reached the village to forcibly take possession of the land immediately after a lower court decided a case in favour of the administration.
The victim’s family nominated Col Muhammad Ali in the FIR, but police registered a case against ‘unidentified’ accused. The family and their sympathizers said they decided to protest against the incident peacefully keeping in view tension on the Indo-Pakistan borders.
The tenants are cultivating the land since 1902. Until 1935, the land used to be leased out. Later, the influentials occupied it. After 1947, army took charge of the land and allowed the tenants to continue cultivating it.
About two years ago the authorities decided to lease out the land but the tenants resisted and under the banner of the Anjuman Mazareen, launched a movement to get proprietary rights.
For the purpose, they started holding meetings and processions across the province to win public support for their cause. On Sunday, one such meeting was held in Peerowala, Khanewal, which was reportedly attended by 10,000 people, including 4,000 women who were carrying batons in their hands.
The meeting was addressed by leaders of the Qaumi Jamhoori Party (QJP), the National Workers Party (NWP), the Labour Party Pakistan, and the Kissan Board, farmers wing of the Jamaat-i-Islami.
The Women Workers Helpline is planning to organize a women’s procession, from the Lahore Press Club to Charing Cross on The Mall, on March 8 to draw the attention of the authorities towards this issue.