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Pakistan: 10,000 peasants rally against frameup of their leaders

Farooq TariqBy Farooq Tariq, Labour Party Pakistan: Over 10,000 peasants today took out a rally at Okara, Punjab on August 4, 2008. They were demanding the withdrawal of false charges of murder against the leaders of Anjaman Mozaraeen Punjab (AMP - Tenant Association of Punjab). This was one of the largest rallies ever organised by the tenants working at Military Farms in Okara.
Peasants from all the different farms in the district came on cycles, motorcycles, tractor trolleys and buses to participate in the rally.

Nineteen leaders of AMP are falsely accused in a murder case by a small splinter group of AMP, which is backed by the landlords.
The rally started from Chack 4/4L and went around the city Okara, where the leaders of AMP made speeches demanding the withdrawal of false charges and the arrest of the real murderers.
Speaking on the occasion, AMP general secretary Mehr Abdul Sattar said we want the murderers of Javed Masih be arrested. However, some who had lost all support among the tenants are using the murder to create religious hates among Muslims and Christians.Tenant farmers in Okara, Punjab
Both communities have lived here for over 100 years with harmony. The efforts of a small group to use a murder during the recent general election to enhance gulf between us will fail, he said. Mehr Abdul Sattar said that AMP will not abandon the fight for land rights. We know it for sure that some military generals are backing the splinter group against us, he added.
He said that the confidence of thousands of peasants in AMP has shown the real anger of the peasants against false murder charges.
The rally ended peacefully.
Source:Socialist Pakistan News (SPN)

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