Property rights: Justice sought for tenants

LAHORE: The Awami Workers’ Party (AWP) on Friday accused Sheikhupura police of victimising Dera Saigol tenants. The party organised a demonstration at Charring Cross to condemn the abuse of laws to suppress peasants’ struggle for land rights in Dera Saigol, a village of 60 to 65 peasant households, occupying 150 acres of farmland in Muridke tehsil of Sheikhupura. The protesters chanted slogans against Muridke Saddar SHO Salim Niazi for framing tenants in false cases registered in far off places, including Rajanpur, Mankera, Narang Mandi and Vehari, to force the tenants to abandon the land. AWP general secretary Farooq Tariq said unarmed peasants in Dera Saigol were “facing off thugs associated with a family of industrialists”. He said the peasant households were allotted 12.5 acres each during the Bhutto-era land reforms. He said the land reforms had later been overturned by the Federal Shariat Court. He demanded that false cases against the peasants be immediately withdrawn, all the 16 tenants be released, and SHO Salim Niazi be suspended from service. Later, CCPO Amin Wains invited the protesters for negotiation. He assured the delegation that those arrested on false charges would be released. He also directed the Sheikhupura DPO to address peasants’ grievances. A delegation of the peasants will meet the DPO on Saturday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2016.