Speech at the distribution ceremony of land-transfer deeds at Nau Dero on January 5, 1973

Speaking at a simple but impressive land-transfer deeds distribution ceremony held at Nau Dero, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said that poverty and inadequate production of foodgrains in the country had posed a challenge to all of us and we must meet it.

He said that the intention behind the distribution of free lands and the philosophy behind the introduction of land reforms in the country was to induce the farmers to produce more and thus increase the agricultural wealth. This, he thought, could be possible only when the lot of the farmers is improved and they are given a feeling of possession over a piece of land. He said that the reforms were designed to better the economic condition of the farmers who had remained neglected and to increase the agricultural output.

Referring to the land reforms of the Ayub regime, the President disclosed that they were incomplete because some of the lands resumed at that time were uncultivable and were given to farmers on payment. He said that due to lack of sincerity on the part of the then Government, the lands could not be resumed properly and no headway could be made to create real impact on the economic front. The President said that the present Government which was aware of the miserable economic condition of the poor farmers decided to give lands free. He said, during the Ayub regime reforms, the land-lords were compensated and the reason why they are not compensated now, is that the Government is left with no money.

He said that the present Government was determined to make this country not only self-sufficient in food grains but able to export it abroad, and earn badly needed foreign exchange, the President assured the farmers that all the necessary facilities including fertilizers, pesticides and tractors would be made available to them so that they could boost up the agricultural produce. He said that the present Government believed in action rather than words and that the proof of this was the presence of the Chairman of Agriculture Bank of Pakistan among them. The President told audience that he had instructed the Agricultural Bank Chairman to keep on touring the country instead of sitting in his office in order to know who needed the agricultural loans and to see that they were profitably used. He further said that the loans procedure had been made easier and necessary changes had been made in the loan rules so that the poor and un-educated farmer did not face any problem.

Stating that wheat requirements were not being met from inside the country, the President said that the result was that it was being imported from outside at the cost of our hard-earned foreign exchange which otherwise could be utilized on purchase of other necessary equipment.

Giving the instances of a number of foreign countries, where the joint farming system is operative, the President pleaded for the introduction and adoption of cooperative and collective farming by the small landholders. He opined that this would enable the farmers to utilize modern methods of agriculture without much difficulty. The president regarded selflessness and the spirit of sacrifice as the basic requirements of development of the country.

The President turned to the critics of the present Government who alleged that the People’s Party would not implement its manifesto. He referred to the reforms introduced by his Government in various fields and said that the very fact if reforms in one year’s time had falsified the opposition’s allegations. He reiterated that the Pakistan People’s Party Government was determined to fulfil its pledges and implement its manifesto in letter and spirit.

Referring to the role being played by the opposition parties on the question of Constitution, the President said that the opposition parties were accusing the present Government of not being sincere in implementing their manifesto, while they were refusing to remain loyal to what they had agreed in the form of Constitutional Accord. The President said that it was not so easy for opposition parties to go back on their signed stand. They would have to stick to it or be prepared for the situation in which the present Government would have no other alternative but to give the country a Constitution based on its own manifesto.

Later, the President distributed land-transfer deeds among 105 landless farmers of Sindh, ten from each District except Karachi from where five recipients had come. Touching scenes were witnessed at Nau Dero at this function. Some of the joyous farmers had tears in their eyes on receiving lands and other danced with joy.