LAHORE: Agrarian Reforms Council, a think tank for analysing Punjab governmnet land and agricultural policies and recommending their review was launched on Saturday at a meeting organised by various NGOs here on Saturday.

According to a press release, more than 80 participants, including parliamentarians, civil society activists, peasants etc attended the meeting jointly held by National Peasants’ Coalition of Pakistan (NPCP) and Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE), in collaboration with South Asia Partnership, Pakistan, Anjuman Falah-e-Niswan, Sahiwal, and Oxfam International.

Punjab irrigation minister Mian Yawar Zaman, MPAs Fauzia Yaoob Qureshi and Shahzad Cheema, Mahboob Ali Khan from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Farooq Tariq of Awami Workers Party, Punjab Commission on the Status of Women chairperson Fauzia Viqar, Advocate Asad Jamal, Rural Business Development Corporation (RBDC) Managing Director Dr Shahid Zia and others participated in the event.

The speakers appreciated the council launch terming it an effective incentive in the field of agriculture.

The event organisers said the council was founded on the premise that no single set of policy initiatives could be as significant as land and agriculture reforms for providing sustainable livelihood to the poor majority in the sector in Punjab, and by linkage, to those in the rest of the country.

Other objectives include strengthening of Punjab government in developing effective land and agrarian policies after provincial autonomy attained under the 18th Amendment, developing common understanding on issues related to farmers, peasants, land, food security, irrigation and agriculture as well as on the need to reforming policies and laws as per new ground realities.

It will meet on a quarterly basis to review its progress and discuss the agenda items.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2015

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