KARACHI, March 22: Opting for reforms over revolution, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has suggested that thousands of acres of unused land of feudal lords should be taken over and distributed among the haris to make it productive and thus not only earn more foreign exchange through exports but also address the problem of unemployment.

Mr Hussain was telephonically addressing coordination committee members and other activists at Nine Zero on Monday.

Referring to the transformed form of feudalism in Europe and other western countries, he regretted that the age old exploitative system in Pakistan was still prevalent in which the poor hari was treated as bonded labour.

He said that he did not believe in bloody revolution nor he wanted that all the feudal lords should be hanged and their land should be taken over. However, he stressed that the centuries-old system needed reforms without wasting human life.

He was of the view that the non-cultivated land of feudal lords, which was neither being used for growth by them nor being utilized by the haris even if they wanted, should be taken over by the state and distributed among haris for turning them into productive units. Those people who wanted to be involved in agriculture should be encouraged as it would tremendously boost agricultural output and bring down and stabilize prices.

Mr Hussain said that tillers of the soil would enjoy all those rights which the industrial labour enjoyed and their working hours would also be determined as per prevalent international law. He said that everyone should have equal rights. Discussing in detail the difference between revolution and reformation, he maintained that a revolution might not be lasting though in the process many people were killed. In contrast, he added, reformation was more enduring.