Federal Land Commission

 

FEDERAL LAND COMMISSION

Three Land Reforms have been introduced in the country. First was MRL-64 in 1959, which was repealed under MRL-115 in 1972, and the third was introduced through an enactment i.e. Land Reforms Act-II of 1977.

i.        Ayub Khan's government passed the first major piece of legislation concerning land reforms in Pakistan, in the form of Land Reforms Regulation 1959 (Regulation 64 of 1959), according to which no one individual could own more than 500 acres of irrigated and 1,000 acres of unirrigated land or a maximum of 36,000 Produce Index Units (PIU), whichever was greater. It further allowed that land be redistributed amongst tenants and others. In addition, the regulation contained provisions which provided for the security of tenants as well as for preventing the subdivision of landholdings.

ii.        West Pakistan Land Reforms Regulation 1959 was repealed through Land Reform Regulation 1972. As per paragraph 8(1) no individual holdings were to be in excess of 150 acres of irrigated land or 300 of unirrigated land, or an area equivalent to 15,000 PIU of land, whichever was greater. Paragraph 18(1) of the regulations also provided for excess land to be surrendered and utilized for the benefit of tenants shown to be in the process of cultivating it.

iii.        Subsequently, Land Reforms Act,1977 (Act II of 1977) did not repeal the 1972 regulations, but was designed to operate concurrently with the same. The most important and relevant change it made was that individual holdings, including shares in shamilat, if any, in excess of 100 acres of irrigated land or 200 acres of unirrigated land, or irrigated and unirrigated land the aggregate of which exceeded 100 acres of irrigated land (again, one acre of irrigated land being reckoned as equivalent to two acres of unirrigated land).

2.         Federal Land Commission (FLC), under the control of the Ministry of IPC, is a statutory department of the Federal Government established under Para 4-A of Land Reforms Regulations, 1972. FLC has judicial functions with respect to the cases arising from land reforms envisaged in the above mentioned regulations, pending before Provincial Land Commissions. FLC comprises a Chairman, a Senior Member, and two (02) Members, who are to be appointed by the Federal Government.

3.         Functions of Federal Land Commission

  • To coordinate the functioning of Provincial Land Commissions
  • To assist the Federal Government in deciding disputes between two or more Provincial Land Commissions
  • To assist the Federal Government in the exercise of its judicial powers under the Land Reforms Regulations, 1972 and Land Reforms Act, 1977.
  • To supervise the distribution of agricultural state and enemy lands owned by the Provincial Governments.

4.      Land Reforms Regulations, 1972.

5.      Land Reforms Act, 1977.

6.      FLC Employees (Service) Rules, 1992

6.      Federal Land Commission Pending Cases