A tense situation developed over the weekend between Pakpattan district police and around 700 peasants (mazareen), including women and children, from Muhammad Nagar Seed Farm in Arifwala tehsil. This led to a major police operation as the peasants protested against the government’s plan to transfer their “ancestral land” — farmed by their families for nearly 100 years — to a private firm under SIFC.
Witnesses reported that a large number of police officers, including special elite forces, arrived at the farm on Sunday. They were joined by officials from the revenue department, along with tractors, heavy machinery, eight prisoner vans, and 40 police vehicles. The operation’s goal was to clear 528 acres of land, which had been allocated to a private firm by the District Revenue Department following instructions from the Punjab government.
The land-clearing operation was led by DSP Sadar Malik Tariq, Arifwala Assistant Commissioner Roman Raees, and Sadar Police Station SHO Abid Ashiq Mohar. Pakpattan Deputy Commissioner Sadia Mehr explained that the operation was carried out under sections 33 and 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, as directed by the Punjab Board of Revenue. She noted that there had been attempts to negotiate with the peasants multiple times, but they had refused to leave.
Muhammad Ikhlaq, president of the local Anjuman Mazareen Punjab group, shared the views with Dawn that the land was originally granted to his great-grandfather Charag Din and 33 other families in 1928 through the Government Land Reforms Act of 1912. “This land was barren then, but now our fourth generation is cultivating it. We feel helpless to protect it,” he said.
By Sunday evening, heavy machinery was being used to level the standing crops grown by the farmers, despite their protests. Ikhlaq claimed the farmers had secured a stay order from the Lahore High Court on October 9, preventing the sale of the land. However, he alleged that the Pakpattan Deputy Commissioner continued with the transfer to the private company.
A writ petition filed by Muhammad Jabbar, a tenant of Muhammad Nagar farm, under Article 199 of the Constitution, was submitted with help from Advocate Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf. Ikhlaq further stated that in 2011, a senior judge had also issued a stay order on the same land, strengthening their case.
The farmers’ legal rights also trace back to a Supreme Court decision (CA 221 of 1995), which set a 60:40 produce-sharing arrangement between owners and farmers and required a 50:50 split on input costs if the land is sold to a third party.
