The document discusses land reforms in Pakistan, which aim to redistribute land from large landowners to the landless. Previous reform efforts in 1959 and 1972 failed to meaningfully change land ownership patterns due to generous landholding ceilings, exemptions granted, and corruption that allowed resumed land to be sold back to the wealthy. True land redistribution was undermined by the continued political power of large landowners and support from civil servants. As a result, a very small percentage of landless tenants ultimately benefited from land reforms.
1. What is meant by land reforms?
The redistribution of land from those who own large chunks of land to
those who are landless
In an agrarian society land represents wealth, therefore
ownership of land ,if unfair ,causes concentration of wealth in the
hands of a few.
Land reforms as a major tool to economic prosperity was
identified as early as 1945.Unfortunately nothing serious was
done ever since.
The main reason behind the failure of land reform efforts was
due to dominance of big land lords an successive regime.
2. In 1951 provincial election in Punjab 80% of seats, and in
1953 provincial election in sindh 90% of seats were won by
these large land owners
unfortunately ,as they were politically empowered, the
civil bureaucracy also supported them.
even land reforms of 1959(general ayub khan) were
criticized on benefitting civil bureaucracy and military.
therefore it did little to bring change.
3. • Key features of 1959 land reforms.
1.Ceiling on holdings: 500 acres
2.Abolition of jagirs.
3.Occuping tentas made owners.
4.Legal protection to farmers.
5.Rents to be paid in kind.
4. more than 50% of land resumed was uncultivated
deserts/hills. many land lords sold low quantity land to
the govt: at gold price.
the resumed land which was to be sold to land less
tents as per law, was sold to rich farmers and civil and
military officials. only 20% of land was sold to the poor
farmers by 1967,and they were only 67000 in number.
5. The reforms failed due to: (by mahmood
hassan khan)
1.Generous ceiling of holdings.(500 acres).
2.Transfers and exemptions.
3.About 3/4 of land was uncultivated.
6. THE BHUTTO REFORMS OF 1972.
BHUTTO’S REFORMS WERE DIFFERENT FROM
1959, AS THEY AIMED AT.
1. Breaking in equitable concentration of landed
wealth.
2. Reducing income disparities.
3. Increasing production.
4. Reducing unemployment.
5. Administration of revenue and taxes.
6. Leging down the relationship of farmer
between land lords and tenant.
(BHUTTO SPEECH IN MARCH 1972)
7. MAIN FEATURES:
1.Ceiling :100 acres.
2.No compensation to land owners.
3.Free distribution of land to tentas.
4.Land revenue, water rates, seed costs borne by land
lords.
5.Cost of fertilizers and pesticides to be shared equally.
6.Tent eviction decision by revenue courts.
8. 7.Consequently,all those tents who acquired land
in 1959,and were owning dues, had their dues
written off.
Only 42% of the land could be resumed in
Punjab and in 59% in sindh.In all 0.6 millions of
acres were resumed, only 0.001% of total farms
area.
Only 50548 persons benefited.
Only1% of land less tentas and small owners
were benefited.