Sindhu Canal / Corporate Farming: A Test for PPP or Political Disaster?
By: Abdul Ghafoor Sarohi
The issue of corporate farming in Sindh is not merely an agricultural reform — it has become a matter of life and death for the farmers, peasants, and poor people of Sindh. The Presidential Ordinance issued by President Asif Ali Zardari, granting permission for corporate farming on Sindh’s lands, has caused deep disappointment and outrage — not only among political circles but also among common citizens.
Now, a serious question arises: Is this the same Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that was once hailed as the party of farmers, laborers, and working-class people? The famous slogan of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, “Land for those who till it,” still echoes in the villages of Sindh. But sadly, today, Bhutto’s party is paving the way for corporate giants to seize the lands of the very peasants it once stood for.
The Danger of Capitalist Farming on Sindh’s Lands
What is being prepared in Sindh under the name of “corporate farming” is nothing but capitalist farming, a systematic way to snatch lands from poor farmers and hand them over to powerful investors, multinational corporations, and influential individuals. This is not an agricultural revolution — it’s a direct attack on the land rights of Sindh’s peasants.
Through this Presidential Ordinance, the PPP has betrayed its manifesto, broken its promises to the people, and shattered the dreams of Benazir Bhutto.
Conflict within the PPP
Another critical question is: What is happening inside the Pakistan People’s Party?
On one side, President Zardari proudly announces corporate farming as an achievement. On the other side, local party leaders and elected representatives, fearing public backlash, speak one language in public and another behind closed doors.
This double standard and internal conflict could push PPP into a major political crisis, risking its credibility and future in Sindh.
If This Had Happened in Punjab?
It is important to ask: What if this decision had been made for Punjab?
If such an ordinance had been issued to take over even an acre of land in Punjab, there would have been protests from the Punjab Assembly to Islamabad! The media, civil society, and political activists would have flooded the streets.
But when it comes to Sindh, every government feels free to target its lands and rights.
Why is Sindh always an easy target for every ruler?
The Dire Consequences of Corporate Farming
This corporate farming decision will bring devastating consequences for Sindh and its people:
1. Farmers will lose their ancestral lands.
2. New excuses will be created to stop the flow of Sindh’s river waters.
3. Farmers will be deprived of water, thrown into hunger, poverty, and lawlessness.
A Defining Test for PPP
This decision is a moral, political, and historical test for the PPP.
Will the PPP turn its back on the people just to save its government?
Or will it stand with farmers and revive its political identity as a people’s party?
If the PPP fails to oppose corporate farming, the people of Sindh will never forgive them.
The hearts that once beat for Bhutto may soon turn against the very party that claims to represent Bhutto’s vision.
This is a Matter of Sindh’s Existence!
Let us be clear: this is not just about land — it is about the existence of Sindh, its history, and the survival of its people.
If PPP does not reverse this decision, the people of Sindh may completely reject them in the next elections.
Will Sindh’s People Rise?
The ultimate question is for the people of Sindh:
Will they rise to resist corporate farming?
Will farmers, peasants, youth, and women take to the streets to defend their rights?
Or will they silently accept losing their lands in the name of corporate development?
Final Message:
> “Sindh’s land belongs to the people of Sindh!
Not to any ruler, not to any feudal lord, and certainly not to any corporate entity.”
