Eminent economist, Dr
Syed Akmal Hussain has said that land reforms are necessary for alleviating
poverty and generating economic
growth. Speaking at a dialogue on "Land Rights" organized at Sustainable
Development Policy Institute (SDPI), he said the most efficient way of
alleviating poverty and reducing inequality
in the country is land
reforms. He said it is blatant injustice with poor in a situation where it can
easily end poverty when there are solutions available such as land reforms.

He explained that there is 2.6 million acre
cultivatable agricultural land available with the government. He suggested that
government must create 5 acre plots and distribute it among the landless people
which would immediately empower
58 percent of 8,97,000 landless farmers. He also suggested to create a fund to
purchase land for remaining 42 percent landless farmers. He talked of
supplementing the land distribution with establishing a social enterprise whose owners and shareholders would
be poor peasants.