ACCORDING to a report published in newspapers, the land ownership in Pakistan is highly unequal as five per cent of the large land-holders posses 64 per cent of the total farmland, and 65 per cent small framers hold 15 per cent of the farmland. Pakistan has about 20.90 million hectares of land, out of which only 26 per cent is under cultivation. At least 76 per cent of the land is irrigated by the network of canals, dams and barrages of the Indus River System.

Pakistan is an agricultural country and agriculture produce contributes 25 per cent of the GDP, 60 per cent of export earnings and 45 per cent of employment.

About 75 per cent of the Pakistanis live in rural areas and depend on agricultural products. The 70 per cent politicians are landowners and are members of our various assemblies. The 70 per cent of the rural population are illiterate and are deprived of education, health and are living in deplorable conditions. Of them, 25 per cent are living in absolute poverty. Almost 60 per cent people who belong to rural areas are landless and homeless.

They work as labourers for owners of large landholdings without any rights and protection as are enjoyed by factory workers. They cannot form their union to protest and demand their rights from landlords.

Unfortunately the media rarely holds debates on land reforms or highlights the plight of these millions who are just living a slave’s life in rural areas dominated by feudal lords.

As long as large landholders enjoy all political powers and economic advantages, the rural population will remain poor.

They don’t have the freedom to vote for their own representatives. Major political parties also depend on owners of large lands to win the election rather on poor voters living in rural Pakistan.

SYED TASADUQ Lahore