In Pakistan Punjab is a revenue generator for the agricultural economy . Agriculture accounts 24% of GDP and Punjab has the largest contribution in the GDP among all provinces. The 48% of labor is engaged with agricultural sector and most of the land in Punjab is fertile. According to the Agriculture Punjab website “Punjab has 57% of the total cultivated and 69% of the total cropped area of Pakistan. It provides about 83% of cotton, 80% of wheat, 97% fine aromatic rice, 63% of sugarcane and 51% of maize to the national food production. Among fruits, mango accounts for 66%, citrus more than 95%, guava 82% and dates 34% of total national production of these fruits.” (Punjab Agriculture Department)
What could be the reason that most of the people in Punjab who are related to this industry are poor, malnourished and uneducated? Because 2% minority which is called landlords ( jageerdars, and wadairays) have been occupied the land and resources for more than 60 year.
Being an agricultural country Pakistan shouldn’t be suffering from food inflation and shortage, but this is happening since many years. Why? Because the people who are occupying the lands in the villages are the same people who have occupied the industry of flour and rice husking and sugar extracting in the industrial sector of Pakistan. They store the products and raise the prices to make the illegal profit.
Why are these criminal minded landlords and industrialists are supreme than the laws and the constitution of Pakistan? Because our political parties like PML (N) , PPP, and PML(Q) elect these people to the parliament where they make the laws which are beneficial for the 2% elite class and rest 98% suffers.
Should we close our eyes and start thinking that things will get better by time and on their own? No, we need a revolutionary change in Pakistan and Punjab can play an important role in this revolution.
A revolution through ballot in Punjab will prosper the whole country. We need to switch these corrupt faces with the true people who deserve to get elected and bring the change. This is the right time to elect lower and middle class people who can understand and solve the real issues of the people of Pakistan.