HYDERABAD, Nov 19: Peasant leaders and labour rights advocates while criticising the government’s stance of maintaining the status quo on land reforms case being heard in the apex court termed feudalism as the main hurdle in developing agriculture sector.

At a meeting convened by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) at the office of the Sindh Rural Partners Organisation (SRPO) on Tuesday in Qasimabad, it was decided that the issue would be raised via lobbying, meetings and protests against the position of provincial government in the land reforms case. Emphasising the need for strengthening the campaign for land reforms by coordinating with various organisations on district level, members of the meeting discussed the issue in light of developments after issuance of a public notice by the Supreme Court asking stakeholders to become a party in the case.

In 1990, an appellate bench of apex court had ruled against land reforms, terming the idea contrary to Islam. A petition has been filed by seven parties, represented by senior SC lawyer Abid Hassan Minto, for nullification if that verdict.

A special nine-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry while hearing the case had had observed that the matter was of interest to farmers and thousands of other people and said that they could become parties in the case.

Subsequently a public notice was issued by the provinces on behalf of the apex court, asking citizens to come forward.

Meanwhile, peasant representatives and labour rights activists on Tuesday observed that landlords and tribal chieftains had been dominating elected houses for a long time and their hold was far from diminishing. They were critical of the stance taken by governments of Sindh and Punjab in which they had called for maintaining the status quo.

They said tat provincial governments had justified their opposition to the earlier ruling of the SC appellate bench while calling for a joint strategy to support the movement for land reforms.

Members of the meeting called on the civil society to rally against the Sindh government for their opposition to land reforms and become a party in the case being heard. They said that role of civil society was more effective as compared to political parties in foiling attempts by feudal lords for extending their rule over the masses.

Punhal Sario of the Sindh Hari Porhiat Council demanded that land of absentee landlords who do not pay irrigation tax should be taken over by the government and then distributed among landless peasants.

Civil society activist Zulfiqar Halepoto said that transparent land reforms were needed and families of landless peasant families have a right to shelter and land. He said that the petition filed in the apex court was backed by peasants’ rights organizations and political parties.

Waheed Jamali of Sindh Agriculture and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organisation said that Sindh government wanted to distribute state land but was reluctant to touch big landholders since most of them were very influential people. “In this situation we should strengthen our voices and help those fighting the case,” he said.

A few participants also suggested sensitisation of potential candidates and political groups of the local bodies polls alongside a mass-mobilisation campaign. They said that it was a policy-level issue and should be taken up in the parliament.

Earlier Ishaq Soomro of Piler gave an overview of land reforms from the time they were initiated by Z.A. Bhutto.