Arrests follow protest: Terror case against 500 tenants

MULTAN, March 29: The Khanewal police on Tuesday registered a case against more than 500 tenants and their leaders under Anti-Terrorism Act and sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case has been registered in the backdrop of a police crackdown and baton-charge of the tenants peacefully staging a long march towards Lahore demanding ownership rights of the land they claim they possessed for decades. The police not only brandished batons but also used tear-gas shelling to disperse the protesters when they reached Khanewal Toll Plaza. Scores of tenants, including women and children, suffered injuries in the police action. The Khanewal city police have registered a case (167/11) under section 7-ATA, 324/365, 395/16 MPO, 341/353, 427/188, 148/149 of Pakistan Penal Code and under section 128 of Railway Act against 41 nominated people, including Anjuman Mazareen Punjab Supreme Council Chief Executive Dr Christopher John, Anjuman-i-Mazareen President Mehr Ghul am Abbas Sayal and Liaquat Gul. The case was instituted against another 500 tenants. The police arrested 35 tenants, including Mehr Ghulam Abbas, and shifted them to unidentified places. The tenants continued their protest against the police at 82-81/10R, 85-83/10R, 86-75/10R, and 87/10R. The police have established check posts outside all villages of tenants while heavy contingents were deployed at Khokharabad Chowk, Niazi Chowk, Seed Corporation, Khanewal Toll Plaza and other parts of the district. Dr Christopher said the police had so far arrested 35 tenants and two women among the protesters also were missing. He said a dialogue between the district administration and tenants was held on Monday night and the police had promised that all the arrested people would be released and no case would be registered. The police, he said, had yet to fulfill its commitment of releasing the tenants. He said the police had damaged several tractors an d over 35 motorcycles of tenants. He said the tenants would continue their protest till the fulfillment of their demands like ownership rights, release of the arrested protesters and compensation for losses. He demanded that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry take notice of the police brutality. Khanewal District Police Officer Waqar Abbasi declined to comment.