Details

Technical Note

Educator Copy

A Note on the Devolution and The Okara Military Farms Conflict

Aasim Sajjad, Ayesha Salma Kariapper


INDUSTRY : Military Farms

AREA : Devolution & Governance

ORGANIZATION : Military Farms

LENGTH : 19

LUMS No : 02-002-2004-2

PUBLICATION YEAR : 2004

DESCRIPTION

KEYWORDS:

Devolution,Okara Military Farms,Conflict,Governance,Local Government Plan,Resources,Change,Tenure,Institution,Farm Management


DESCRIPTION:

General Pervez Musharraf had endeavoured to devolve power to the local level through the local government plan 2000, which provided the formal framework. Given the comprehensive nature of the plan, and the very significant financial, human and other resources dedicated to implement it, there was a need to assess the impact of the new local government system. This note investigates the devolution plan in the specific case of district Okara where, since June 2000, a conflict had been raging between over 100,000 residents of the Okara Military Farms, and local, provincial, and federal authorities. In June 2000 the military farm management decided to change the tenure relationship with the tenants from share-cropping to rent-in-cash. It was also in 2000 that the military government embarked on its ambitious devolution program. This case seeks to uncover whether or not the institution of the local government system in Okara had reduced the distance between the citizens and the state, and made the government responsive to local needs, as stipulated by the plan. 


LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

N/A


SUBJECTS COVERED:

Devolution & Governance