Land matters: Two peasants killed, three soldiers injured in clash

Army soldiers tried to restore water supply to the land when peasants working there resisted, died on spot.

OKARA:

Two peasants were killed and five were injured for resisting army personnel at the Military Farms in Okara on Thursday. An army spokesperson, Major Muhamad Farooq, said three army soldiers had been injured by peasants in the foray. He said that peasants had shot at army soldiers first.

Anjuman-i-Mazareen has said that the army was not letting them take back the bodies of the peasants killed. Anjuman-i-Mazareen representative Advocate Noor Nabi alleged that the army had recently ousted several peasants from 1,200 acres in Chak15/4L.

He said the peasants had been cultivating the land for several years but the Cantt administration had recently “seized” it.

Okara DPO Babar Bakht Qureshi had called the peasants at his office for negotiations but they refused a settlement. On Thursday, army soldiers tried to restore water supply to the land when peasants working there resisted.

There was exchange of fire and two peasants, Noor and Amin, died on the spot. Nabi said that the peasants then held a protest demonstration at Adda Tabrooq. The protesters said that they were being harassed and forced to leave the land. Police have not issued a statement in this regard. Major Farooq said that some soldiers had tried to water the land but some peasants shot at them, injuring three.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2014.