Pakistan Army seeks allotment of 30,000 acres of land in Cholistan for martyrs, wounded soldiers

LAHORE – Pakistan Army has asked the Punjab government to provide 30,000 acres state land situated in Cholistan for the allotment to next of kins of martyrs, war wounded persons and deserving military personal under Army Welfare Scheme. 

It was disclosed in documents submitted by the Punjab government in the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding the army’s request for one million acres of state land for “corporate agricultural farming” in Punjab.

As per the document shared by a journalist on Twitter, the caretaker cabinet of Punjab was apprised in its Feb 25, 2023 meeting that the Board of Revenue Punjab sought report from the Cholistan Development Authority. 

The report submitted on Feb 3 said out of proposed 30,000 acres land, 11675 acres was already under the possession of Pakistan Army and was available. “The remaining state land measuring 18325-Acrs were already included in the schedule of allotment to landless Cholistanis but its status was changed from ‘Category B & C to Category A’ by Pakistan Army under the banner of Green Cholistan,” read the document. 

The document also showed that the military had proposed a “profit sharing mechanism” for corporate farming in Punjab. As per the formula, 20% of profits will be used for research while remaining will be divided 50-50 between the army and the government of Punjab.