APROPOS the article ‘The China model’ (Aug 11) and the letter ‘Learning from China’ (Aug 16), both writers have failed to mention a great achievement of the Chinese revolution: the abolition of feudalism and redistribution of land among the landless peasantry which paved the way for China’s industrialisation and the elimination of poverty.

Pakistan has an archaic feudal structure entrenched firmly in southern Punjab and rural Sindh. The landed gentry has a socio-economic stranglehold on the rural masses forcing them to live in abject poverty and misery.

The landlords expropriate vast tracts of fertile land, state lands, orchards; dairy and cattle farms and agro-based industry i.e. sugar mills, flour mills and cotton-ginning factories. This allows the feudals an idle, extravagant and luxurious lifestyle at the expense of peasants and labourers.

Apart from socio-economic perks, landlords wield unlimited political power be it a military regime or civilian set-up. Nearly all political parties are dominated by the landed elite whose inherited constituencies are their exclusive concentrated fiefdoms.

Feudalism is the biggest obstacle to: the emancipation of the masses, elimination of poverty and ignorance, promotion of democracy, a vibrant economy and enlightened culture in the country. Corruption, Pakistan’s nemesis, is largely an off-shoot of the feudalistic mindset that cares a fig about trampling the law.

All political parties and people across the board should bring a constitutional amendment to abolish feudalism and redistribute land among the peasants. This may sound a wishful fantasy. However, it is the only solution for a prosperous Pakistan.

Abaidur Rehman

Faisalabad

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2018