Raised slogans demanding the release of AMP general secretary who was arrested last April
OKARA: In the latest development in a long-standing land dispute between tenants and the military, the former on Tuesday night protested against the destruction of their maize crops, allegedly by a retired colonel.
Tenants at Chak 18/4L, Tehsil Okara, raised slogans demanding the release of Mehar Abdul Sattar, the General Secretary of Anjuman Muzareen Punjab (AMP), who was arrested on April 4, 2016.
In the words of Abdul Sattar Chamman, who is a member of AMP, two heavy vehicles razed the maize crops of two tenants, Hafiz Adnan and Haji Mohammad Sarwar, on the night of September 28.
“Colonel (retd) Waqar had tried to make an agreement with Adnan and Sarwar, who own only four acres of land, but both refused to sign an agreement until AMP leaders were released. Upon this, on orders of Waqar, two heavy vehicles bulldozed maize crops later that night,” Chamman alleged.
A video showing the destroyed maize crop at Okara Military Farms just to punish a tenant for raising voice for release of Mehar Sattar, pic.twitter.com/D0nOBoVXDR
— Farooq Tariq (@Farooqtariq3) September 30, 2017
Listen to the plight of peasant women at the site of destroyed maize crops at Okara Military Farms pic.twitter.com/L2BBfv1VMh
— Farooq Tariq (@Farooqtariq3) September 30, 2017
However, Colonel (retd) Waqar refuted all allegations levelled against him. He said that this is another conspiracy of tenants to tarnish the image of Pakistan Army. “How can a retired colonel order heavy vehicles to bulldoze crops?” he questioned. He said that these crops were damaged during a routine exercise carried out by Pakistan Army in the area.
Okara Cantonment police station muharer Imtiaz said that he cannot confirm this event and no such complaint was filed in the police station. “I can assure you that no such event was brought to our knowledge during the past week,” Imtiaz said.
Videos posted on internet show women wailing over the damage inflicted. While a video from the night of October 3 showed several tenants raising slogans for the release of their leader Mehar Abdul Sattar and other members of AMP.
Waqar asserted that these tenants don’t have any documentary evidence that he led the flattening of their crops. “They are accusing me on the basis of hearsay,” he claimed while talking to Pakistan Today over phone. Waqar said that if their crops were damaged, they could claim compensation by filing a complaint at cantonment office. “Army has a very clear policy; it pays for the smallest of damages inflicted during an exercise,” he said.
Waqar further said that negotiations between both parties were going on for several months and “it is very clear that this land belongs to the Army.”
These tenants were also issued notices to pay for their contracts by October 6 or else their land will be seized. A copy of this notice was obtained by Pakistan Today.
An earlier version of this story was published with a different headline, we have since changed it for clarity.