major reforms of general ayub khan

1. KifayatShahani
Mechanical engineering student
Ayub khan’s land reforms 1959
 A ceiling of 500 acres for irrigated and 1000 acres for un-irrigated land
 Land was to be redistributed amongst to tenants already cultivating the
land.
 Permanent proprietary rights to occupancy tenants.
 Idea of “subsistence holdings” of no less than 50 acres was proposed
 However, Ghulam Ishaq Khan was dissented with the majority opinion
on the land ceiling..
 He proposed the ceiling of 150 and 450 acres of irrigated/un-irrigated
land for individuals and 300/900 acres limit for families (irrigated/un-
irrigated).
Effect of 1959 reforms
 The recommendations were put into force through the Martial Law
Regulation No. 64 on February 7, 1959.
 2.3 million Of it distributed amongst 183,271 tenants and small
owners2.5 million acres of land was resumed.
 The resumed land was around of 4.5 % of the total cultivable land in
Pakistan
 just 0.65 million acres was distributed amongst the farmers who had
holdings below subsistence level (12.5 acres)
 The government overtook only 35% of the holdings
 In 1947, Less than 1% of farm owners control more than 25% of
agricultural land
 After the 1959 reforms, less than 8.5% of farm owners control more
than42% of agricultural land

2.  However, average holding per landlord was still 7,208 acres in Pakistan
and 11,810 acres in Punjab due to the state’s inefficiency.
28 November 2017