Peasants in Pakistan’s Jhal Magsi led by Kissan Ittehad Jhal Magsi clashed with feudal lords and Pakistan’s security forces to protest against the oppressive policies of the government. Jhal Magsi is a district in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province.
Pakistani security forces baton charged dozens of women and opened fire on a small group of farmers. Several women and children were injured. The incident happened over the weekend.
According to reports from the ground, farmers gathered to demand land reforms and protest against the barbaric policies of the feudal lords who forced them to harvest crops in a certain way which farmers have opposed.
Pakistani authorities and Pakistan national assembly member (MNA) Khalid Magsi forced the farmers to harvest crops under certain terms and conditions. Magsi even burned down the crops of farmers who refused to harvest as per his terms and conditions.
Farmers in Jhal Magsi have demanded land reforms for a long time and want the practice which obligates them to share their crops with landlords to end. The clashes occurred after they refused to surrender their produce to the landlords.
During the clashes, the personnel who visited the farmers to retrieve the crops fired in the air to disperse the protesters, while some personnel baton-charged farmers protesting against the move.
Pakistan’s successive governments have supported the social and political order in the region which is dominated by rigid feudal, religious and tribal hierarchies. The successive governments have also abused the establishment for a long time.
People of Balochistan, living under these oppressive policies, are consigned to living lives of virtual serfdom, orthodox social norms and values, with the majority of people wholly dependent on the patronage of the feudal lords and the corrupt political leadership.
The lack of investment in basic economic and social infrastructure in the province – barring the extraction of natural gas for use in other provinces – led low level of economic activity and limited the fiscal resources hindering investments.
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