KARACHI: A civil society organization demanded justice for Ghulam Ali Laghari, a poor peasant who has been made to suffer at the hands of an influential landlord in Sinjhoro, taluka of Sanghar.
In a press conference on Tuesday, the organization brought Ghulam Ali Leghari along with his son to inform the media that he owns a piece of land for last 32 years but an influential landlord in the area has stopped him from cultivating his land.
He added that the landlord, who has backing of PPP leaders, has been continuously threatening him and implicating him and his family in false cases, and sadly the district administration and the local police are also supporting the landlord (Zamindar).
‘The Tenancy Tribunal has declared me as genuine peasant. But the landlord doesn’t honor this decision since he has support from local politicians and legislators,’ stated Ghulam Ali, adding that he had also filed a petition in the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner for implementation of the verdict of Tenancy Tribunal.
But, he added, the sons of a landlord and his armed goons burnt recently burnt down his house, looted his household items and livestock, and forcibly evicted him from the village and his lands. After removing the peasant’s family from their homes on gun point, the culprits set their shelters at fire.
Ghulam Ali told the area police were reluctant to intervene on the grounds that they needed further instructions from their higher officials since it was a land dispute. Ghulam Ali informed that he in the meantime filed a Constitutional Petition (CP-451) 2016 in the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad, for protection against threats.
He is awaiting the decision. The civil society demanded from the government to set up Hari Courts as promised by different governments because tenancy tribunals have proved powerless due to landed aristocracy’s political powers.
