Feudalism in contemporary Pakistan usually refers to the power and influence of large landowning families, particularly those with very large estates in more remote areas.[1] The adjective "feudal" in the context of Pakistan has been used to mean "a relatively small group of politically active and powerful landowners."[2] "Feudal attitude" refers to "a combination of arrogance and entitlement."[2] According to the Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research (PILER), 5% of agricultural households in Pakistan own nearly two-thirds of Pakistan's farmland.[3][4]
Large joint families in Pakistan may possess hundreds or even thousands of acres of land, while making little or no direct contribution to agricultural production, which is handled by "peasants or tenants who live at subsistence level."[5][6] Landlord power may be based on control over local people through debt bondage passed down generation after generation,[1] and power over the distribution of water, fertilisers, tractor permits and agricultural credit, which in turn gives them influence over the revenue, police and judicial administration of local government.[5][6] In recent times, particularly "harsh feudalism" has existed in rural Sindh,[5] Balochistan,[7] and some parts of Southern Punjab.[5] Pakistan's major political parties have been called "feudal-oriented", and as of 2007, more than two-thirds of the National Assembly (Lower House) and most of the key executive posts in the provinces were held by feudals, according to scholar Sharif Shuja.[5]
Explanations for the power of "feudal" landowning families that has waned in other post-colonial societies such as India include lack of land reform in Pakistan.[1]
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