vaibhav.n wrote:Okara erupts again; protests against the Porky Army in Punjab
Land is a very important component of the Pakistani military, especially the Pakistani Army. After the 1857 Second War of Independence by Indian soldiers, the British wanted a more dependable Army and used the award of huge tracts of lands as a bait for buying in loyalty. The Muslims of West Punjab, who played a large part in putting down the War in 1857, were rewarded by the British with lands and recruitment in the Army. That tradition continues. Pakistani military officers get one 'vacant plot' after 15 years of service, a second one after 25, a third one after 28 years and a fourth one after 33 years of service each worth more than 15 million rupees in the open market.
Ayesha Siddiqa writes that out of the 11.58 million acres of land controlled by the Pakistan armed forces, an estimated 6.9 million acres, or 59 percent of the total land, lies in rural areas. She writes that around 70,000 acres are controlled directly by the military for operational purposes, such as camping grounds and dairy farms, while 35,000 acres are controlled by the Army Welfare Trust, the Fauji Foundation and the Bahria Foundation.
A whopping 6.8 million acres are owned by individual members of the armed forces. They convert the usage of state land from official to private purposes. Farmland has been converted into land for laying golf courses or residential housing schemes. Agricultural land is regularly transferred from provincial governments to the Ministry of Defence, which is finally responsible for dividing the total land acquired at a given time amongst the three services, which then redistribute it among their individual members. This
British-inherited system was
fine-tuned during the Ayub regime. “The mass distribution of land through military awards has created
a class of military agriculturalists.”
Land entitlement varies from 240 acres for generals to 100 acres from lieutenants to majors to 32 acres for non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Many officers receive more than one urban plot of land. Gen Pervez Musharraf bought farmland in Islamabad for Rs 40 million and a former DG ISI made Rs 100 million through the sale of his farmland. The military remains a major stakeholder in real estate.
Of course, 'land entitlement' is not the only way the miltary makes 'some' extra income. From a list placed before the National Assembly:
Fauji Foundation runs: Fauji Sugar Mills, (more than one), Fauji Cereal, Fauji Corn Complex, FONGAS (Natural gas supply company), Fauji Poly Propylene Products, Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), Fauji Jordan Company, Fauji Cement, Fauji Oil Terminal Company Project (FOTCO), Fauji Kabirwala Power Company Limited. Army Welfare Trust: Askari Stud Farms, Askari Farms, Askari Welfare Rice Mill, Askari Welfare Sugar Mill, Askari Fish Farm, Askari Cement (more than one plant), Askari Welfare Pharmaceutical Project, Magnesite Refineries Limited, Army Welfare Shoe Project, Army Welfare Woollen Mill, Army Welfare Hosiery Unit, Travel Agencies, AWT Commercial Plazas, Army Welfare Shops, Army Welfare Commercial Project, Askari Commercial Bank, Askari Leasing Limited, Askari General Insurance Company, Askari Welfare Saving Scheme, Askari Associate Limited, Askari Information Service, Askari Guards Limited, Askari Power Limited, Askari Commercial Enterprises, Askari Aviation, Askari Housing Schemes (at several locations)
Then there is Shaheen Foundation and Bahria Foundation of the Air Force and the Navy respectively.
All in all, a fantastic enterprise is this Pakistani armed forces. Tell me now, why they should collude with the IS who will take all these away from them (and enjoy themselves in the bargain)?