Punjab land in army control

[Leader]

THIS refers to the news item (Jan 7) regarding the statement of the law minister in the Punjab Assembly that land measuring 395,576 acres is under the control of army for various agricultural and commercial activities. The record regarding the land and earnings is with the military while the provincial government has no knowledge whatsoever.

Furthermore, he also told the assembly that the land within a radius of five miles along the border (that runs into hundreds of kilometres) is under the control of the army, and the government was not the allotting authority of such land. This would mean that the army has the authority of allotments and contracts of land in the area.

The minister has, however, not informed the assembly of vast military farms in Okara and Khanewal districts where bloody clashes have also taken place between farmers and occupying military units during Musharraf`s period. A couple of years back, it was reported in the newspapers that the irrigation department had sent a report to the Punjab chief minister about the use of water from canals by the army and Rangers for irrigation of lands under their occupation.

This is a grave violation of Articles 173 and 274 whereby the ownership of such lands lies with the federal and the provincial government, as the case may be. Contracts for such properties can only be made in the name of the president, or as the case may be, in the name of the governor of the province.

The control of the army over these lands and any function towards allotment or contracts would be considered unlawful. All income accruing from these properties should have been deposited in the public exchequer and duly audited.

AKBER ALI KAZI
Karachi

@ Terrorist Anti-state Dawn

Ooppps !!

P.S reminded that to differentiate between the institution and the Gernailz. thanxs

 

[haviZsultan]

I think there are corruptable people in every institution but I will still go far enough to say that the Pakistan army is far less corrupt than any other institution.

I do believe however the benefits the top generals take should be reduced and instead should go to the Havildar's naiks and jawans instead. We have to give them opportunities to build their houses and send their children to school.

The purpose of the funds, the land alottment for the army is not wrong. What is wrong is just how things are going and the top generals taking control of everything.

 

[haviZsultan]

Military least corrupt institution: TIP​

KARACHI - Judiciary has stepped up into the 4th position from 6th in the previous year in terms of corruption, while land administration department has got the first position on the list of country’s most corrupt institutions, according to the National Corruption Perception Survey 2011, released by the Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) on Wednesday.

According to the report the police department has taken the second spot while the Power sector has dropped to the 5th rank from 2nd. Taxation slipped to the 3rd rank from its previous 8th position, while Customs and Tendering and Contracting departments have shown alarming increase in the corruption trend.

It is pertinent to mention here that for the first time military has been included in the survey and it was the least corrupt department after education in the year 2011. Police had topped all the previous years’ surveys but the Land Administration has crossed them and the factor of the ‘Land Mafia’ was one of the big reasons for this increase.

The annual survey report was released at Karachi Press Club in a press conference by TIP Chairman Sohail Muzaffar, along with TIP Advisory Committee chairman Syed Adil Gilani. This year’s survey has been conducted by Gallup Pakistan. Sohail Muzaffar cited the delay in punitive action by the state organs against the corrupt elements in corruption cases like Pakistan Steel, NICL, Punjab Bank, Rental Power Plants, KESC, PIA, Railway and Wapda as the main reason for the rise in corruption levels.

Sohail informed that judiciary is confronted by deliberate defiance in implementing Supreme Court orders and delay in punishing corrupt persons by the judiciary is one of the causes of lower ranking of judiciary. He said that they have released the reports to tell the government and the people that which is the most corrupt department and it should not be taken into personal context or any political intention. “We are trying to help out the government by showing them the corrupt sections in them, now it’s up to the government how it cleans them”.

On the inclusion of military in the survey, the TIP chairman said, “We have not included it in the survey, Gallup itself has added military and they have not put railways in the survey”. He said the military should not be placed before the education in the rank because according to him military is less corrupt than the education.

He added that Gallup agreed late to conduct the survey, “No one was ready to conduct the survey, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) which conducted the previous year’s survey refused to conduct it this year. We had short time and Gallup agreed in the last”, said Muzaffar.

The military remains the least corrupt institution in Pakistan. Precisely the reason it holds so much influence in the country

 

[blain2]

Nothing shameful about this. There are certain reasons why the Army holds lands near the border areas and also the traditional ownership of lands by the Army in the Okara region. In a vast majority of the cases, the land has become a source of contention when the population has moved closer and tried to encroach on lands given to the military for establishment of cantonments and other facilities.

The heartache you hear from politicians is quite common because the military owned lands are better managed and more lucrative real estate. The military being an organ of the state should not have to pay for these lands because none of the other governmental institutions pay for their expansion or use of lands.

The Indian Army is being lambasted for exploiting 8000 acres of land for use as Golf Clubs across the country. The bottom line is that these lands were given to the armed forces and what they build on it for their own officers and men becomes problematic for the politicians only after the Army cultivates the land for its own use and primes it which means it becomes mouth watering real estate for private investors.

Indian army land being used for golf courses - FT.com

"The defence ministry is the largest state landowner, holding 80 percent of the 7,000 square kilometres of government land, much of it now prime real estate, according to the CAG report released Friday.

Indian Army Runs Private Golf Courses

By above, I just want to point out that its not just the requirement of the Pakistan Army to hold land. The military institutions require government land to setup infrastructure and bring with it improvements to the area and also the land for which they are given ownership. The same goes on in BD, SL and elsewhere in the region.

 

[blain2]

The purpose of the funds, the land alottment for the army is not wrong. What is wrong is just how things are going and the top generals taking control of everything.

This is also a stereotype. The top generals do not just take control. There is an incentive package offered to the senior officers of all services. This is something that is regulated by the MoD and not done ad-hoc or through irregularities by some senior officers (which admittedly has happened in some cases, but its an exception and not the norm).

The real issue is how senior officers in the armed forces are to be compensated. The GoP approved the policy of land allocation as compensation to senior government officials including the Armed Forces. If the GoP decides, it can completely do away with land allocation as a compensation, yet has chosen not to do so as doing away with it would incur greater financial burden (larger retirement packages of cash etc.)

 

[BelligerentPacifist]

All land 5 miles inside of borders, you should be grateful Mr. Kazi. Do you want to build your house right where an armoured thrust happens or where you could be daily shelled by India during periods of hostility?

How about you do your State Bank job better Mr. Kazi before criticizing other institutions in the country? Last time we met, to our shock you had no idea how the currecy country worked. How about you make your Economics doctorate worthwhile to your institution Akbar Ali saeen instead of poking your nose in things you don't fully understand?

 

[Leader]

I think the important part is "Illegal occupation of the lands"

the second important point; where the revenue is going from these lands?

 

[RazPaK]

Too many liberal facists in Pakistan these days.

 

[blain2]

I think the important part is "Illegal occupation of the lands"

the second important point; where the revenue is going from these lands?

Revenue is not going anywhere as the Army is sitting on these lands and not selling them.

"Illegal occupation"? I am sure the Army would vehemently disagree with this classification and on good grounds too.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

I think the important part is "Illegal occupation of the lands"

the second important point; where the revenue is going from these lands?

They build 10 marla fully furnished houses for LTs and sell em for 60 thousands RPS!

 

[Xeric]

The minister has, however, not informed the assembly of vast military farms in Okara and Khanewal districts where bloody clashes have also taken place between farmers and occupying military units during Musharraf`s period. A couple of years back, it was reported in the newspapers that the irrigation department had sent a report to the Punjab chief minister about the use of water from canals by the army and Rangers for irrigation of lands under their occupation.

i dont know what this needs clarification, military farms (for the provision of rations etc to soldiers) are maintained by militaries all over the world:

Now please STFU and you better worry about those sarmachars waiting to teach you a lesson when you land in Balochistan!

 

[Xeric]

What guud can we expect from our 'Leaders' when our actual leaders and intellectuals like Ahsan Iqbal, Tarek Fateh (whom we consider as learned) are oblivious of the facts and still raises the slaogans of the military eating up 80% of Pakistan's budget, despite the fact that now it is well documented that the military on gets 16% of the National Budget and the Army receives only 6-9% of the National Budget.

And here we are expecting a blogger and a 'writer to the editor' to tell us the truth??!! The only thing they can do is to vomit more lies and propaganda-it is their bread and butter, as some smokers cant take a shyt without a smoking cigarette, these haters also cant shat unless they have spewed hatred against the Army before positioning their buttocks on the throne!

So here's a (clearer) face-palm:

1. All Land is Provincial.

And

2. Under the Resolution Number D-3428-A of 10 December 1925, adapted by Pakistan vide The Pakistan (Adaptation of Existing Pakistan Laws). Order 1947:-

- The Govt of Pakistan has the right to remain in undisturbed possession of any land in its occupation in any province on the 1st April 1921, subject to the conditions then ruling, so long as such occupation is necessary for the effective discharge of its duties.

- A local Govt has no power without the consent of the Govt of Pakistan to alienate or in any way to interfere in regard to land situated within the provincial boundaries, which is in the occupation of the Central Govt.

- Irrespective of any lease deed concluded between Centre and Government of Punjab, the above resolution alone validates the possession of land by the Army as long as the necessity exists.​

​

 

[Kazhugu]

@balin2:

"The defence ministry is the largest state landowner, holding 80 percent of the 7,000 square kilometres of government land, much of it now prime real estate, according to the CAG report released Friday

.

Defence ministry...not the Army....in india...MoD holdings is differnt from Army holdings..

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

@balin2:

.

Defence ministry...not the Army....in india...MoD holdings is differnt from Army holdings..

Either way we are referring to an institution of the government, and in both cases (barring dictatorship) the management of the land is largely under the control of unelected bureaucrats.

 

[Kazhugu]

Either way we are referring to an institution of the government, and in both cases (barring dictatorship) the management of the land is largely under the control of unelected bureaucrats.

its different...i dont think the revenues from the lands held under MoD go to army as in case of pakistan..it goes to govt coffers audited by CAG...