our land our empowerment pdi case study collection

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Our Land Our Empowerment Fighting Towards Property Rights for Women in Pakistan

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Case Study Collection by

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI)

Our Land Our Empowerment: PDI Case Study Collection

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Our Land Our Empowerment Fighting Towards Property Rights for Women in Pakistan

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Case Study Collection by


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Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Background .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2. PDI Land for Women Campaign ................................................................................... 5

3. Goal: .................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

4. Purpose: .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

5. Results: ................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

6. Key Impacts of the Campaign: ....................................................................................... 6

6.1 Government Acknowledges Flaws and Revises the Whole ProgramError! Bookmark not

defined.

6.2 Now Each Land Grantee to Receive 25 Acres of Land . Error! Bookmark not defined.

6.3 No Land for Men. 100 % Land would be Allotted to Women ..... Error! Bookmark not

defined.

6.4 More and more Women are Receiving Land Ownership Documents ............................. 7

6.5 Increased Level of Awareness among the Women and Overall Communities ............... 7

6.6 Leadership Role in the Hands of Women ........................................................................ 7

6.7 Media is highlighting the Issues in Land Distribution Program ...................................... 8

6.8 Corruption level reduced in Demarcation of Land and in other Documentation ............ 8

6.9 Civil Society Role Recognized and Gaps Identified by Civil Society to be Resolved .... 8

6.10 Organization Management of Women Organizations Increased ................................... 9

6.11 Increased Civil Society Independent Monitoring Mechanism in all the Districts ......... 9

6.12 Pakistan‟s First Ever Women‟s Agricultural Cooperative Society Established ............ 9

7. Campaign Case Studies ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.1 Happy Days Came Knocking on Beebuls Door ............ Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.2 Better Days for Latifan .................................................................................................... 6

7.3 Muradan: Story of Struggles ............................................................................................ 6

7.4 Pohri is a Whole New Person Now................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.5 Rahima Made Her Voice Heard ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.6 Seeta‟s Victory in The Face of Religious Discrimination ............................................... 7

7.7 Manna‟s Life: Shinning Sun Over the Fields .............. 2Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.8 A Happy Future For My Son ......................................................................................... 23

7.9 Suhagan‟s First Visit to A Court .................................................................................... 25

7.10 Ameena Is No Longer Alone ....................................................................................... 27

7.11 Niamat‟s Days Are Different ....................................................................................... 29

7.12 Leadership Role of Rubina .......................................................................................... 31

7.13 Gul Jan Enjoying Her Real Empowerment ................................................................... 32

7.14 Shaher Bano Wins Her Legal Battle and Her Land ..................................................... 33

7.15 Case Study of Shahnaz Arisar ..................................................................................... 34

7.16 Zainab‟s Patch of Heaven ............................................................................................ 36

7.17 Aami Became A Land Lady ........................................................................................ 38

7.18 Leadership Role of Rasheeda ...................................................................................... 40

7.19 Until Hope Walked In ................................................................................................. 42

7.20 Niamat‟s Story by Caroline Gluck ............................................................................. 45

Error! Bookmark not defined.7.22 Fighting for Their Land by Caroline Gluck ............ 48

7.23 Helping the Landless Become Land Owners by Caroline Gluck ............................... 50

8. Epilogue ....................................................................................................................... 53


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1. Introduction and Background:

In September 2008 the provincial government of Sindh province in Pakistan took a tremendously

important initiative by launching the first ever program of “Distribution of State Land among

Landless Women‟ in the province. Under this program about 43,044 acres of land was

distributed among 2,930 women and 1,266 men in 17 districts of Sindh province in first phase

while about 12,395 acres land was distributed among 1,937 women.

The program being a serious step in bringing real empowerment among women in the province,

Influenced a number of organizations including Participatory Development Initiatives to take a

great interest in it. Thus in 2008 PDI with the support of Oxam GB initiated monitoring the

process and the immediate outcomes of the program. An action research was conducted

reviewing the process of the identifying state land, targeting poorest of poor women and the

quality of land granted to the women as well as post land distribution issues.

The study provided great evidence that there are serious issues and problems associated with this

important program threatening the benefits of the program. For example, there were complains

of political favoritism in the selection of beneficiary women for granting land. Similarly, the

process of land distribution was cumbersome and local women usually did not receive proper

information about the land distribution process and open Katcharies aimed at distributing land.

There was also inequality in the quality and quantity of the land distributed. Some women have

received four acres of land while others have received up to 25 acres and in many cases the land

granted to the poor women is uncultivable being unleveled, waterlogged or even with disputed

ownership etc.

Also, another of the key issues associated with this program was the lack of any economic

support package by the government for those poor land grantees to enable them to cultivate the

same land. Majority of the women who have received land are poorest of poor and were unable

to arrange different inputs including seeds, fertilizers and plowing the land for cultivation.

Similarly, in many cases the land distributed among the poorest women is not leveled. As the

majority of the women land grantees are the poor peasants who had been receiving advances

from the landlords for the day to day household expenditures including food and medicines for

their family members and inputs for the crops till the harvesting of the crops.

Having seen these visible flaws in the Land Distribution Program of Sindh Government, PDI

with the support of Oxfam GB launched Land for Women Campaign to raise awareness of local

peasant women, mobilize and organize them in the process, facilitate them in all distribution

processes and provide legal support to women under litigation cases and agriculture support to

poorest of poor women land beneficiaries.


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2. PDI Land for Women Campaign:

PDI with the support of Oxfam launched the Land for Women Campaign during the Sindh

Government Land Distribution Program to monitor the process as well as provide social and

legal support to local women peasants. In this process PDI have been engaged in awareness

raising campaigns, mobilization and organization of local women, facilitating them during the

land distribution process and providing legal support to women under litigation cases and

agricultural packages to the poorest of poor women land grantees.

Being majorly an advocacy campaign Land for Women Campaign covered all of Sindh districts

where distribution was taking place, however the core areas where PDI intervened directly are:

District Thatta

District Umerkot

District Sanghar

District Badin

District Dadu

District Mirpur Khas

The major details of the Campaign are as under:

3. Goal:

Contributing towards the land rights and equitable landownership of poor and vulnerable women

in Sindh for their socio-economic and livelihood empowerment

4. Purpose:

Poorest and vulnerable women in Sindh receive and sustain the land ownership and its benefits

for their economic uplift and empowerment

5. Results

5.1.Local communities especially women and civil society is mobilized and organized to

prevent exclusion of the vulnerable women from the land distribution program of Sindh

Government

5.2.Government policy makers are sensitized to further improve the implementation

mechanism of the program to ensure most vulnerable women are targeted.

5.3.Women land grantees receive agriculture and alternative livelihoods support package to

cultivate the granted land for the livelihood of their families


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6. Key Impacts of the Campaign

Following are the major impacts seen during the campaign:

6.1.Government Acknowledges Flaws and Revises the Whole Program

One the key project impact is that as a result of continuous PDI research based advocacy, the

Provincial Government of Sindh has officially acknowledged the flaws in the land distribution

process including granting of uncultivable land, political favoritism and issues in the provision of

land ownership documents etc. In the high level Sindh Government meeting, the flaws in the

program were acknowledge and a decision was taken to remove those flaws before further

distribution of land. Besides the Revenue Department, Sindh Chief Ministers Secretariat has also

taken the notice of the flaws in the program and Sindh Chief Minister as appointed an official in

his Secretariat to be in constant touch with Revenue Department, monitor the situation and report

him the development.

6.2.Each Land Grantee to Receive 25 Acres of Land

PDI study and the advocacy campaign highlighted the issue of inequality in the distribution of

land as some land grantees were receiving as lesser land as two or three acres while the other

were even receiving 20 to 25 acres of land. PDI study also identified the fact that poorest of poor

were receiving less land while those having connections with the influential were receiving more

acreage of the land. PDI took this issue with Sindh Government through its correspondence as

well as face to face meetings with the high level officials of Sindh Government.

As a result of the advocacy campaign of PDI team, now the Sindh Government took a decision

that all land grantees would receive equal piece of land i.e. 25 acres per land grantee women.

This is positive decision which would remove the symptoms of inequality in the program and

such acreage of land would be enough for any family to properly cultivate the same land for

ensuring the livelihoods of their family members.

6.3.No Land for Men. 100 % Land would be Allotted to Women

PDI had raised the issue of distributing a good chunk of land among the men in the name of

distribution of land among women. The local officials according to PDI study were granting land

to men on the pretext that women are not coming forward for receiving land, which according to

PDI study was a wrong perception. More land was distributed among men in place of women by

the officials in some districts. PDI took this issue with the government in writing and meetings

with the officials.

Thus Sindh Government came up with the decision that no man would receive even a single acre

of land. All the land would be distributed among women. This increased the number of women

beneficiaries of the land distribution in Sindh and would largely benefit to poorest of poor

women.


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6.4.More and more Women are Receiving Land Ownership Documents

When PDI initiated awareness, advocacy and study on the issues in the land distribution, the

team came to know that about 90 percent of women land grantees had not received their proper

land ownership documents which are locally called Form -7. The majority of the land grantee

women were simply given simple allotment orders, which could have been cancelled by the

officials of Revenue Department. There were complaints from a number of women in different

district that land was allotment to them and the copy of allotment order was also given to them

which was later on changed and same allotment order was issue to other influential women. A

number of women also showed such allotment orders to PDI team which were cancelled by the

authorities of Revenue Department to reissue the same allotment orders in the name of other

women.

PDI took this issue with Sindh Government and demanded that the land grantee women should

be issued their proper and perfect landownership documents .e Form -7. This issue was raised by

PDI during the meetings with the Senior Member of Board of Revenue, Additional Chief

Secretary Sindh and other officials. After such struggle, the Government issued the

landownership documents to the women in large numbers. During the recent visit to different

districts PDI found that a large number of women who had previously no landownership

document have now received the same documents. The women are feeling safe as now it has

become more difficult for any person to change the ownership documents of the women land

grantees.

6.5.Increased Level of Awareness among the Women and Overall Communities

The awareness initiatives of PDI have significant impact upon the community of the area.

Community is now aware of the land distribution program and it is taking self initiatives in

process and procedures. The government loopholes in the program are being identified now at

the local level. Local level revenue official involvement has now been taken over by the local

communities since they are aware of the land district program properly.

6.6. Leadership Role in the Hands of Women

Local level leadership has been encouraged in the form women organizations. The women have

now their collective leadership in the form of their own women organizations in each district.

The leading role of local women is facilitating poor and deprived communities to get benefited

from the program with the support of women organizations established by PDI under this

project. These women organizations are trained in organizational management and providing

assistance to the beneficiaries in issues in process and procedure of the program. About 134

women in five districts are playing leading role in mobilizing the community women in all sort

of issues of land grant, disputed land issues, documentation process and future planning for

cultivation of granted land


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6.7.Media is highlighting the Issues in Land Distribution Program

Leading newspapers have been publishing detailed stories on the issues and gaps in the program

also emphasizing the government to create the check and balance in the distribution without

discretion and ensuring fairness of the scheme.

Print and electronic media is reporting on the stagnancy in distribution and support package as

committed by the government of Sindh. Media has unearthed some facts about the quality of

land in Thatta and Badin. However, certain reports have compelled government to reconsider the

land identification mechanism ensuring to distribute the cultivable land among the landless haris.

Leading English newspaper Dawn published an article in its business and economic review

titled: “Haris Get Land without Input” (July 29, 2009). The article highlights the plight of haris

who have been looking for the inputs since they have been benefitted from the scheme. The

writer has reported the case of Mr. Yousuf Chandio resident of Tando Bago Tehsil, District

Badin. The article has highlighted the issues being faced by this beneficiary with regard to delay

in distribution of inputs.

In the media reports, PDI and Oxfam role on advocacy has been appreciated in finding out the

flaws and irregularities in the government‟s land distribution program and campaigning against

the denied inherent rights of the women.

6.8.Corruption level reduced in Demarcation of Land and in other Documentation

The local level tapedars were involved in the demarcation of land and completion of formalities.

Therefore, the issue was raised by the PDI in the media and meetings with senior officials of the

revenue department were in held. Presently, the fair procedure of land measurement and

documentation is being followed by the local level revenue officials.

6.9.Civil Society Role Recognized and Gaps Identified by Civil Society to be

Resolved

The senior officials of Sindh Government are of the view that the strict monitoring of the civil

society has provided two-pronged benefits to their concerned offices. Civil society pointed the

major observation of involvement of political personalities in the program and the involvement

of officials in the corruption. According to these officials gaps in the program are being

discussed regularly in their offices to find the remedies and to reduce the grievances of the

communities.

The Government of Sindh has almost resolved the disputed cases which had been stuck up by the

courts due to the dual ownership issues. The government has taken initiatives and has directed to

the officials in districts to resolve these cases on priority basis.


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6.10. Organization Management of Women Organizations Increased

Since the women organizations have been formed in five districts, the meetings by these WOs

are now being taking place. All the WOs have held the meetings based on the agenda of the

distribution of land and their role in future in sustainable livelihood.

Besides that, local level women leadership has become able to identify the issues and gaps in the

land distribution program and has initiated sharing with the local officials. The WOs members

have also been able to launch advocacy on the issues and rights of the poor and deprived women

of their area.

6.11. Increased Civil Society Independent Monitoring Mechanism in all the

Districts

PDI in collaboration with Oxfam (International) has encouraged civil society groups to identify

the gaps in the government‟s land distribution program for fair distribution of land among the

poor women. The civil society role has opened new discussion of the monitoring on the

government program and launching advocacy.

Government has such appreciated the independent monitoring by the civil society on the land

distribution program and has offered to play its further role in distribution of support package as

well.

This sort of sharing and joint working has encouraged CSO groups at the grass root level that a

collective voice can be developed in the form of pressure group on any sort of government

scheme for its proper and timely implementation benefiting most to the poor and deprived

communities.

PDI had developed linkages among the network on Land Rights involving civil society, media

and government. Therefore, this effort would also further provide various opportunities to the

CSO groups to raise their concerns at all forums, sharing the experiences and learning from

others for the development of local level strategy to resolve the issues.

1.1. Pakistan’s First Ever Women’s Agricultural Cooperative Society is Established

During the Land for Women Campaign PDI have been largely involving the local women via

various activities, From Awareness Raising to Mobilization PDI ensured the participation of

rural women peasants and after establishing Women Organization in the respective districts and

building their capacities PDI and Oxfam recently launched Pakistan‟s first ever Women‟s

Agricultural Cooperative Society in Thatta District which would now be involved in various

decision making roles and activities. This Producers Organization has been registered in the

office of Registrar Cooperative Society while its Office bearers have been selected and trained

and its Bank account has been opened and seed money provided for micro credit initiatives


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2. Case Studies from the Campaign:

Throughout the Campaign PDI have been interacting with thousands of

women for their Property Rights and Empowerment. During these moments

not only PDI have been inspired as well as highly touched by the quality of

empowering stories arising from the local communities and that of the

women. These Stories have been collected and written in a form to convey

their full message and included here in this document.

Even these case studies are from diverse backgrounds and profiles most of

them still reflect the lives of thousand other women whose messages

perhaps PDI couldn’t grasp but as we go through each story included here,

A feeling of connecting to those women establishes with whom PDI and

Oxfam have been fortunate in connecting during the Land for Women

Program.

The Land for Women Campaign is one of those initiatives of PDI that looks

at various strategies to support women and from awareness raising, to

facilitation, to legal support, PDI and Oxfam have been side by side with

the landless women peasents of Sindh to provide them all the help they

needed in claiming their property rights during the Land Distribution

Program of Sindh Government. Hence the following stories include all

sides of this Campaign giving an open look to what PDI and Oxfam have

achieved together with the women Land Grantees of Sindh.

Following are the 4 years of PDI Land for Women Campaign which

unfolds with each story beholding each activity done during the campaign.


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Case Study # 1

Happy Days Came Knocking Beebul’s Door

District Thatta, Sindh

In her dark red duppatta and green dress, Beebul seemed like a rose just blossomed when she

smiled genuinely about her newly granted land in the Sindh Governments Land Distribution

Program. It was like her life might have taken a new turn just right then and her excitement

couldn‟t be disguised.

“I still don’t believe I am a winner here”, she said the

day of open Kutchari and finding out about being

granted 4 acres of Land, “I cant help making plans with

how would I use my land!

Beebul Hassan, 37 year old and mother of 7 children,

belonging to a small village of Deh Jharandi, District

Thatta was one of the hundreds of women mobilized and

facilitated by Participatory Development Initiatives, in

applying for the lands distributed under Banazir

Bhutto‟s Land for Landless Women Hari‟s.

Since the beginning of this program by Government of

Sindh, Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) with

the support of Oxfam GB had carried out a mass

mobilization and awareness raising campaign inside

those districts through traditional drum beating, loud

speakers, FM Radio and Local Gatherings to ensure that the Poor and vulnerable communities

especially women receive and sustain landownership under the Land Distribution Program of

the Government.

Beebul, like all the women of her village came hurrying when PDI‟s team visited her village at

the beginning of the program, gave them each application forms and sent out vehicles for them

to be picked up the day of open kutchari on Land Distribution in the Revenue Department.

“I am Thankful of PDI to visit us that day, I had never known until now that the Government

ever gave free land to poor people”, she exclaims, “I am happy that PDI came and let us know

and also gave all the women of my village free application forms!”.

Beebul flattered the team of PDI‟s Land for Women Program (LWP) by saying that her happy

days came knocking just because of them, “Each day I woke up with painful itching in my


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fingers from working tirelessly for landlords on just a small wage”, says Beebul, “they never

treated us well and looked down upon us while thrashing us when ever they liked”.

Beebul and her husband Hussan, lived on the land of these landlords and were compelled to

work for them just to own a small shelter. It caused them much fall in the wages that were paid

to them.

“I and my husband worked off our whole day just for a few rupees of 100 which never bought

us enough food to feed our 7 children and us, she continues, there were days when I and my

husband would sleep without having any dinner trying to feed our children first”, Shares

Beebul, “we were bound just for the sake of the patch we lived upon, there wasn’t any other

place we could think of migrating”.

Beebul further shared about her endless plans as a landlord herself, to grow tomatoes, Wheat,

Chilies and many other vegetables on her land and most importantly, about her own home on

her very own land.


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Case Study#2

Better Days for Latifan

District Umerkot, Sindh

“I couldn’t stand watching my sons walking miles

daily to search for just a few rupees, Says Latifan, I

wanted them to earn equal to the efforts they put in.

Latifan, 54 years of age is a poor widow living in the

smallest villages of Umerkot called Mion Khan Rind

with her 2 sons and a daughter. Her life like the

thousands other women of Umberkot had been a

continues movement, a movement to find meals, to

provide for the needs of her grandchildren and a

movement to find better days which were yet to

come.

According to Latifan her whole life had been a constant search where she remembers her

parents to have fought with poverty and made efforts to feed their children, while now when

she is the grandmother to small children of her son, she too is continuously in search of ways

as how to provide for two meals a day for her family.

We have been peasants from centuries, my grandparents too used to work on lands as farmers,

they too worked on others lands but for us sometimes even finding wages as farmers becomes

almost impossible, Shares Latifan,

Right when life became a great effort for peasant farmers in Sindh, they were given a good

news also, as the government of Sindh announced to carry on the dream of Banazir Bhutto to

distribute Government land to landless peasants, women like Latifan found a glint of hope in

their lives.

Since the beginning of the land distribution program by Government of Sindh, Participatory

Development Initiatives (PDI) with the support of Oxfam GB had carried out a mass

mobilization and awareness raising campaign inside those districts through traditional drum

beating, loud speakers, FM Radio and Local Gatherings to ensure that the Poor and vulnerable

communities especially women receive and sustain landownership under the Land Distribution

Program of the Government.

Latifan like hundreds of other women was assisted in filling out application forms and

provided transport to the open Katcharis at the time of distribution which was going to take

place in the government building of Mukhtiar kar office. Having distributed about 42 thousand


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Acres of land in the first phase of Government Land Distribution Program the Sindh

Government was distributing 55 thousand acres on the second phase and Latifan who stood

amidst hundreds of women who had applied for lands held her breath in hope if a small patch

of that land being distributed could ever be hers.

I couldn’t believe my luck, I finally had my own land, shares Latifan rather excitedly, all of a

sudden I started to see my life shift to something where my children would sleep in peace each

night and my grandchildren would never have to cry for food.

But Latifan‟s dreams were crushed when soon she was not allowed to use that allotted 7 acres

of land as 3 appeals were filed against her by three different women in her village.

I didn’t even knew what and how it had happened, if the land was mine I was the authorized

one to use it and have benefit from it, she shares, but I never knew these women claimed the

land as theirs.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) under the Land for women program supported by

Oxfam GB was closely looking over the whole process and when Latifan among various other

women faced the problem of litigation PDI offered legal assistance to them though the legal aid

committee formed in Umerkot.

My hopes were all gone by then to even ever have back possession to that piece of land, Shares

Latifan, but when I saw the efforts of PDI, my lawyers and all the people who were supporting

me, I felt my hopes rising for the better days of my life which I have always dreamed of.

And it wasn‟t far when Latifan were to see the reality to her dreams as this November 2010 she

won back her land and all the appeals against her were taken back within about 3 to 4 hearings

at the EDO Revenue office in Umerkot.

Sharing her gratitude to Oxfam and PDI, Latifan says that, if it weren‟t for the team of PDI she

would never have known about the distribution program of Sindh Government in the first

place, where PDI and Oxfam assisted her in all the procedures until now when she has the land

to herself and her better days are here!


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Case Study#3

Muradan: Story of Struggles

Umerkot, Sindh

“Muradan” the traditional communities believe is the name given to people with great luck,

girls who bring fortune to their families and make them feel blessed. But this Muradan that we

know had none of the above, being lucky was something she admired from afar and luck itself

ran from her like the dust vanishes at the mere touch of a wind. Muradan is the name of

struggles for this woman and Muradan is the story of struggles for us which becomes a success

in the end~

The loud and heavy sounds from speakers floated

above in the air while the damp and hot days

didn‟t do justice with hundreds of women packed

together in this government building of Mukhtiar

kar Kunari Office in Umerkot district, Sindh.

Many shouted above their heads to make sure

their family members were present while many

fanned their infants with the corner of their

dupattas curved in their hands like a flowered

pattern. Muradan sat alone in a corner sweat

dripping from her face and hope shinning like the stars brightly lit in the nights of Umerkot.

This was the day of Open Katchari, to announce the distributed lands to the fortunate women

by government, the initiative of Benazir Bhutto which after her death was carried by the

government of Sindh and was praised mighty words by each civilian living there. Government

had already distributed 42 acres of land in the first phase while 55 acres was planned in this

phase while women with their hearts beating loudly and duppatas clenched between their teeth

waited tirelessly in the veranda, on stairs, in the open and near the walls. Muradan a woman of

55 with no family of her too had submitted here applications and her, widowed about 9 years

ago her only children was a woman of 27 married and given off to another village while she

lived alone fighting poverty with the growing problems of inflation and old age.

And it was announced. 8 acres of land! All to Muradan! And she couldn‟t disguise the amount

of happiness that showered from her face and gave off all the plans she had in her mind to use

her land for. It could be ladyfingers, peas and wheat, anything was possible now.

But then again life had offered her struggles like the day since her husband died and she fought

for every single rupee, gave off everything ever earned to her beloved girl when she was

married and lived a life of a widow without anyone to support her. This time once again


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struggles lied for Muradan as within a few days of her celebration of her newly achieved land

she was acknowledged that 5 appeals against her by five different women were filed in the

EDO revenue Umberkot.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) with the support of Oxfam GB while present at all

the matters of awareness regarding applications, application submissions, providing application

forms to hundreds of women, assisting them to the open katacharis by providing transportation

also became aware of the issues arising with women like Muradan, about 15 women in her

surrounding villages were stuck into litigation matters for illegal possession of land even after

being allotted their own lands by the government.

But along with the great support in the initial matters PDI with the support of Oxfam GB was

also providing the women with legal support which had resulted for various women winning

their cases already. And once again PDIs team along with the legal aid committee formed by

PDI and Oxfam in Umerkot decided to support Muradan and the other women to fight for their

rights.

The days hadn‟t yet been good for Muradan and she had submitted herself to the struggles of

her powerful fight for justice for months. The continues support of PDIs team and her lawyer

had already assured her of the good news that was to visit the door to her house, and it came.

She won all the five appeals against her!

This November Muradan won the last of the appeal and celebrated her real success, which was

of course not alone, the team of PDI, the legal aid committee and everyone else celebrated her

success but left her to plan all she can about how she is going to use her land.

Maybe its chilies?


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Case Study#4

Pohri is a whole new person now


Pohri is a whole new person now, she makes her decisions, she is respected and is capable. She is made

part of issues going on in family, she is heard to when she speaks. Pohri is now a new person with dignity

and pride because pohri contributes equally to her home and to her children.

35 year old Pohri wife of Ibrahim Malah and mother of 4 children is one of the 44 legal aid beneficiaries

of PDI who were supported as part of the post Governments Land Distribution Program in any issues that

came up. Pohri belongs to Deh ver of Taluka Jati in District Thatta where dozens of woman like pohri

were granted land from the government which

later on was found out to be illegal or under

control of powerful landlords. Pohri like those

woman was under the filed appeal of Soni

Amb Hingro a rich landlord woman of her

community who declared the granted land as

her own and illegal for Pohri to cultivate upon.

PDI‟s lawyers approached Pohri and stood

along with her in support towards fighting the

case for her.

“We are so poor we cant afford a meal

properly, while here I stood with a landlord

against me”, Says Pohri, “I couldn’t ever

have been capable to fight my case but PDI’s team visited me and kept on telling me that I could win, so

did I!”

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) with the support of Oxfam GB, is running the legal aid

committee for post land granting phase of Governments Land Distribution Program as a part of the Land

for Women Program of PDI (LWP). LWP aims to ensure that Poor and vulnerable communities

especially women receive and sustain landownership under the Land Distribution Program of the

Government.

PDI won the case of Pohri soon within a few weeks in the court of EDO Thatta and handed over the land

of 4 acres to a cheerful Pohri who beamed with pride and happiness!

“I planed non-stop on what I would cultivate on my own lands, it was my own decision only and I was

capable to choose for my own piece of land”! She exclaims, “due this reason I am also heard to now

when I speak, because I know now to make decisions and feel good about myself!”

The 4 acres of land and the victory in the court won Pohri a pride that was new to all that met her, she

soon started working on land along with her husband and gave off loads under her name and fed her

children the best meals she could offer.


18

Case Study#5

Raheeman Made her voice heard! District Thatta, Sindh

Raheeman couldn‟t stop her tears that fall slowly off her wrinkled face, yet these were not tears

that came out with sadness, but these were tears of

success and of happiness that stood right there for her

to embrace because she had just won her case in the

court of EDO Thatta and was now a landlord herself!

Raheeman Natho Mallah belongs to a small village of

Taluka Jati, Deh ver in District Thatta. She is a strong

woman of 42 years old and mother to 5 children.

Living in a very small village without any electricity,

other essential services and relying on daily wages of

about 80 to 90 Rupees, life was already tough for

Raheeman, but it looked like fate had yet more to offer

when after applying for the Governments Land

Distribution Program and winning 4 acres of land she

faced bitter hardships as Soni Amb Hingro A rich

Landlord woman filed an appeal against her declaring

the granted lands as a property of hers and illegal for

Raheeman to cultivate upon.

“I felt so vulnerable in the face of gigantic powers in front of me, having to know nothing about

all this court system and to be actually opposed by powerful landlords I didn’t knew my luck

could ever let me and my family ever have a life of ease,” Says Raheeman. “But I was blessed

the day PDI’s people came knocking on my door and I was surprised to see some people in

support of me, Allah bless them, with their help I was able to go speak for my rights!”

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) with the support of Oxfam GB, is running the legal

aid committee for post land granting phase of Governments Land Distribution Program as a part

of the Land for Women Program of PDI (LWP). LWP aims to ensure that Poor and vulnerable



PDI‟s lawyers representing the Legal aid committee and fighting Raheeman‟s case appeared

regularly in the court, not to miss upon speaking for justice and never letting the hopes of

Raheeman fade. The struggle of PDI‟s legal aid committee along with Raheeman‟s deep patience

and persistence led the team to win finally and the good news caught Raheeman with tears.

PDI‟s team got sincere blessings and prayers from this poor woman.

Raheeman now works on her lands, along with her husband and doesn‟t minds the heat, tiredness

and tough work of cultivating the lands, because as she says, “ This is where I put more efforts

and do get more in return, I don’t mind if I have to die working on my beautiful land”


19

Case Study#6

Seeta’s victory in the face of religious discrimination District Umerkot, Sindh

“I had been living my whole life on these lands, yet I never felt I belonged to somewhere else, but

when discrimination did come in the face of my rights being snatched off, I could see where I

mismatch in becoming a part of this community”.

(Seeta)

Seeta Kachi, the 44 year old hindu landless hari

(peasant) mother of 4 sons belonging to village

Ravio Kachi, district Umerkot was another victim

of a powerful sardar to whom peasants were only

supposed to work on others lands and never to

have the right to ownership. Especially in the

case of Seeta, who being one of the hindu tribes

stood apart highlighted in the face of his injustice

and discrimination.

Two years back when Seeta‟s husband died, she

had no choice but to double her efforts as a daily

wage laborer to earn for her family. She along with her 3 elder sons labored each day with much

effort to be able to provide the family with two times a meal, but things when should have been

better kept on getting worse under the religious discrimination in her community.

“ I was always looked upon as someone very small, it wasn’t different even when my husband

was alive but it feels I have become a reason for hatred for people”. Says Seeta.

For Seeta, the discrimination came to its highest peak when with grand hopes she applied for

Governments Land Distribution Program and after being granted 4 acres, the local wadera (chief)

took control of her lands.

“The problem with me”, Says Seeta, “is not only am I very poor but without any I am status to

actually go claim my property. The only thing I am proud on is the fact that there are people who

do care for us poor. I found back my lost hope with the arrival of PDI’s team who promised all

of its support that it could offer and did the same”!

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) with the support of Oxfam GB, under the Land for

Women Program supported Seeta with Alterntive Livelihood Package, gifting her 5 goats and

also came forward for legal support of hers to get back her land.

The team of PDI visited Seeta frequently until oming to know one day about the sudden news of

a case being filed against there name as well as Seeta‟s Executive District officer Revenue

Umerkot. The fake case from the wedera declared that Seeta while not being the righteous owner


20

of the lands granted was not to be given goats and PDI and its team stand accountable for such a

wrong doing.

It was then the frequent visits of PDI‟s team to Seeta‟s home diverted towards the court, where

the team never disguised their pride in being right and knew sooner or later about the result of

the case filed against them, and so it happened when After three hearings in local Court of

Umerkot, District and session Judge of the said court disposed off the case and announced

decision in favor of PDI staff and Seeta on February 16, 2010 rejecting the accusation by the

local Wadera.

The great victory of PDI‟s team and Seeta, was led ahead with another step to actually file a case

in the Revenue Department Hyderabad against Wadera‟s occupation on Seeta‟s Lands, That case

is now under proceedings while Seeta lives in her community with a new pride and dignity

where discrimination under the name of religion is far from realization.


21

Case Study#7

Manna’s Life: Shining sun over the fields District Umerkot, Sindh

In the heat of the day, while the sand-filled lands seemed to burn through the thin shoes she

wore, “Manna” made her way each day towards the lands she worked on as a daily wage laborer,

which were miles away from where she lived.

“It was an everyday routine for me”, she recalls…“I

would feel the heat pouring on me until I would get

to those lands of land owners and worked for them

until sun dawned in night and I would leave with

just a few rupees in my hands”.

Manna belonges to a poor village of Arisar, UC

Pathoro of District Umerkot and like other peasants

labored tirelessly along with her husband on the

lands of others for wages which came in variety of

80 to 130 Rupees. Still young in her age she was the mother of just one son of 2 years and did all

she could to provide him with the time and care that he needed.

When the Government announced land distribution, I knew it was time when things could change

for me and my young family, She says, “I had applied with the only hope to be able to gain

freedom from the painful efforts that I and my husband had to go with working on others land”.

Manna did became one of the land Grantee‟s of Government, being granted 5 acres of Land she

found it lucky for actually a woman to own something.

“God Bless Banazir” she says, “I feel like I own a huge property even it was the land which

stood without any cultivation for years and was in a very bad condition”.

Right when Manna and her husband didn‟t knew what to do about the land and how actually to

cultivate it having no money saved, Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) approached her

with support of Alternative Livelihood support package and also Agriculture Package.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) with the support of Oxfam GB supports poor

women land grantees in cultivating under the Land for Women Program (LWP) which aims to

ensure that Poor and vulnerable communities especially women receive and sustain

landownership under the Land Distribution Program of the Government.

Manna stands along her cultivated lands, watching each single side of it proudly and feeling the

power and dignity in ownership. She has been saving money for her little child to grow up go to

school and become a “big person” like she says it. She uses the goat milk to feed in her family


22

dinners and lunches and sells from the extra portion of it. Life according to her have become a

blessing and she wants to do all she can to preserve this.


23

Case Study#8

A happy future for my son

Umerkot, Sindh

In the piercing heat of early May 2010, Village Jumu

Rind burns like coals on fire, the dust flying openly

many times halts on the leaves of some wild shrubs

and trees that look brown with the harsh day light. The

small village with its beautifully structured mud

houses stand exposed to the sun while soothing its

residents under their shads.

One of these houses is of Rabia‟s family, where the

heat doesn‟t count as a problem but rather another of

Rabias chances, to sit down and listen to her 5 year old

son talk about many things that she doesn‟t even know

of while she strokes his hair waiting… for the Open

Katchari of the land distribution program of Sindh

Government.

Rabia belonging to a poor family in Umerkot is 24 years old wife of Ali Khan and the mother

to a 5 five year old child. Right when motherhood brought great wishes in her mind after the

two years of her marriage, Rabia had later realized how hard it was for her to promise her

child happy days with enough to eat and sleep in peace. But her hopes rose up when she heard

about the Banazir Bhuttos land distribution program which was made known by hard efforts

of PDI using traditional forms of drum beating, FM radio, SMS and other local sources to

make sure more and more women took part in the land distribution program.

Rabia like hundreds of other women from her village had applied to the program of Sindh

Government which was a continuation of Banazir Bhuttos dream to distribute government

land to landless peasant women. About 42 thousand acres of land was distributed in the first

phase while in this second phase the government planned to distribute 55 thousand acres of

land.

Participatory Development Initiatives under its Land for Women Program with the support of

Oxfam GB was present during the both phases carrying out awareness programs using local

methods of awaring women about the application process and about the importance of the

opportunity. PDI and Oxfam had distributed application forms, to thousands of women,

assisted them in applying and even at the day of Open Katchari arranged for the transportation

of Women from their villages.


24

Rabia among these women came hurrying to the government building where the anouncments

were to be made, PDI has organized camps to accomdate hundreds of women until the open

katchari began while women with hope shinging down their lips.

Clutching her little son close to her, Rabia waited, held her breath, until her name was called

and she couldn‟t believe the sound that came from the loud speakers.

But somehow it was amazing not only Rabia but PDIs team to find out that her brother in law

filed an appeal against her illegal possession of the land which was granted to her declaring

the land as his own. Due to relationship reasons Rabia almost backed off and surrendered but

before she could lose all her support PDIs team with the support of Oxfam GB approached her

with the legal aid service which promised to her that she would the legal owner of her own

land.

I am very thankful to PDI, they were there when my own relatives put me in such problems,

Says Rabia, he didn’t even care about my husband who was his very own brother.

The legal aid committee fought Rabias case and it took about months until each hearings but

none of them gave up and finally just this November 2010 Rabia won back her land to fulfill

the promise she had made to her little son who have now joined school and everyday walks to

the school leaving a beaming smile to his mothers face.


25

Case Study#9

“Suhagan’s first visit to a court”


Suhagan Siddique Jat, never had realized before that

her first ever victory in her life could be so much

tough, until she had to experience strict laws, court

meetings, hearings and pleas while fighting for her

case in the Revenue Court of Executive District

Officer Thatta.

Suhagan, a 48 year old landless peasant woman,

mother of 5 children and belonging to Taluka Jati,

District Thatta, won 8 acres of Land in the

Governments Land Distribution Program. She was

excited like all those who were granted lands, to finally be able to work on her very own

property and escape the harsh treatment from landlords that had become an everyday thing for

landless hari‟s of Thatta. But things turned out to be different then what she expected, when

Maryam, A landlord rich woman of her tribe and village declared to the Revenue Court of Thatta

that the allotted land to Suhagan Jat belonged to her.

“It was heart breaking as well as surprising for me when the already-a-Landlord woman of my

village Maryam took off to the courts declaring the land for herself”, Says Suhagan, “Having to

know nothing about court systems, nor a single word of wisdom I thought better to stay back

from any kind of feud and let her win at her false words”.

Suhagan, while right in the middle of the court proceedings and at very close to giving up felt

like being rescued when Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) arranged for her to meet the

Legal Aid Committee of PDI to attain legal aid on her side of the story.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) with the support of Oxfam GB, is running the legal

aid committee for post land granting phase of Governments Land Distribution Program as a part

of the Land for Women Program of PDI (LWP). LWP aims to ensure that Poor and vulnerable



Representing the Legal Aid Committee of PDI, Advocate Ahmed Ali Hallo appeared in the

Revenue Court of Executive District Officer Thatta and fought the case of Suhagan against the

illegal declaration of Maryam and her family to own the land, Luck and the very righteousness of

Suhagan along with the struggle of PDI‟s Legal Aid Committee team led this to be a grand


26

victory when the Executive District Officer, Revenue court passed order in favor of Suhagan and

she won back her 8 acres.

“I feel like my real success has come now”, she says, “I am thankful to PDI for helping me deal

all this because I had never ever set foot in a court throughout my whole life.”


27

Case Study#10

“Ameena is no longer alone”


“Its been 18 years since my husbands death, and I had been simply living a life where my

lonesome and hard efforts would pay off only when I could gather one time a meal for my

children, it was not enough…. But was enough to keep us alive and go struggling the second day.

But now as it seems I am not the person I used

to be, I am no more dependent and work on my

own lands, proudly calling myself a landlord.”

Says Ameena.

Ameena Ramzan Dars, a 40 year old widowed

woman and mother of 5 children, lives in a

small village Suleman Dars U.C Sukhpur,

which is located within 36 km from District

Thatta.

Ameena is one of the 70 poor women

beneficiaries of Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) supported by Oxfam BG to have

been provided the Agricultural Package and Alternative Livelihood Package as a part of Land for

Women Program (LWP) of PDI, which aims to ensure that Poor and vulnerable communities

especially women receive and sustain landownership under the Land Distribution Program of the

Government.

While narrating her story, Ameena relates her life as a great challenge in the past when she along

with her sons worked on others lands as daily wage laborers.

“Living on wages that never satisfied our hunger I had seen the worst of my life”, she says;

“While my sons worked alongside me in the stabbing heat of the day, I could never imagine

myself out of that phase of life. However a few months back I heard that Government is giving

away land to poor women peasants, I filled an application myself and was overwhelmed with

happiness when I could win 8 Acres of land! However I hadn’t known until just after a few days

that the land granted to me was under the control of Yousif Arifani, and he is never going to

allow me to cultivate my land”, She continues, “After the death of Yousif Arifani, his sons after a

long time of interval did allow us the patch to cultivate but then again those were the times when

we didn’t have a rupee in our hands to invest on our land.”

Ameena and her sons had waited until a long gap for the land to be returned but having the

conditions being the same as before, she was unable to cultivate the land even if she got it.


28

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and Oxfam GBs supported her by providing her the

Agriculture Package to invest in her land and also the Alternative Livelihood Package to go with

until her land is harvested. Enough seeds, fertilizers and covered expenses of plowing and

leveling the land offered by PDI shifted the life of Ameena entirely.

“It was that time of my life when challenges engrossed me when PDI’s team came to my home

and talked to me like old family. PDI gave me 3 goats which are now 5!” She exclaims, “I

couldn’t have been much happier when they offered to help crop on my land and gave me the

seed and fertilizers right on my doorsteps, PDI gave me money for plowing of my lands and

finally with the generous help I am now a land lord!

Ameena is now living a content life of a peasant proudly working on her own lands, since the

first harvest of her wheat crop she was able to repay the loans under her name, wedded her two

daughters and also have saved enough to wed her last youngest daughter soon.

“It makes me proud when I walk along my land and my crops, which stand tall making me happy

each time I gaze about it”. Says Ameena, “The goats that PDI gave me helped a lot while my

land was under cultivation and harvesting was far. I can’t wait until I sell a good portion of my

wheat and life will never be the same again. Thanks to PDI I never feel alone like I did after my

husband’s death, PDI team visits me frequently and examines the development in my land as well

as in my life!”


29

Case Study#11

Niamat’s Days are different


The small village of Muhammad Jat of Taluka Ghora Bari in District Thatta is home to people

who never experienced a good meal of two times a day.

They all live a life where after a whole days struggle can

get just a few rupees in hand. Niamat wasn‟t an

exception. She did not refrain from efforts whichever

kind they be, and used her day in a struggle where her

primary goal was only to feed her children.

Niamat widow of Ali Muhammad Jatt have 9 children,

five of whom are girls while 4 boys. Seven years ago

when her husband died, she was left alone to decide on

the fate of her children who were of course never

discouraged. Struggling hard Niamat made enough efforts

for survival and days went on until a few months back when she heard about Government‟s Land

Distribution Program.

“I saw the possibility of my days turning out different and with enough hope I applied for land in

this scheme of Banazir Bhutto”, She Says, “my hopes turned out real when I was granted 6

acres of land! It was more then I could ever dream of!”

But what Niamat perhaps had never dreamed of was that the season of cultivation her land was

rolling by while she didn‟t have enough money in her hands to even buy the seeds. Participatory

Development Initiatives (PDI) supported her with not only the agricultural package but gifted her

3 goats to go with until her land supported her enough. She was helped to hire tractors to plow

and level the land which having never been used was an open land with holes and shrubs grown

upon.

Niamat was one of the 70 poorest woman to have gained the Alternative Livelihood Package and

Agriculture Package from Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI)‟s Land for Women

Program (LWP) with the support of Oxfam GB. LWP aims to ensure that Poor and vulnerable



“It feels like you are some one of my own”, Says Niamat talking to PDI‟s LWP team, “I have

never felt under such care and protection since the death of my husband and when your team


30

visits me so frequently to ask about the progress in my land and my life I cant help but thank

Allah for this blessing.”


31

Case Study#12

Leadership Role of MS Rubina District Thatta, Sindh

Rubina Lashari lives in village Abdul Qadir Lashari Union Council Sukhpur Taluka Mirpur Sakro

District Thatta. Her Husband is a farmer, she has four daughters, two of them are in a primary School and

two kids are too little to send School. Being

the only literate women in the area with

education up to eight classes, she had

supported some of her relative women in

writing application forms for the grant of

land in the first phase of land distribution by

Sindh Government. She was very happy that

some of those women received land.

This inspired her to work more for the

women of the area and in the meantime PDI

team also reached in the area, holding

meetings with the women land grantees to

know about their problems, raising their

issues with the local and provincial

government and providing agriculture and

alternative livelihoods support to some

poorest of poor women of the area.

PDI held meeting with Rubina and saw a potential in her to lead the local women. PDI inspired and

suggested her to set up aq women‟s organization jointly with a team of other active women of the area. At

first instance she was reluctant. It seemed me that it was a difficult task and I being a young women in the

remote area where there are many restrictions on the women, would not be able to do so” She says.

However, with the continuous persuasion by the PDI team one day she decided to call a meeting of some

active women of the area and after some detailed discussion they launched a local women organization

“Bakhtawar Women Development Organization” with majority of the membership from the poor land

grantee women, who have received land under the land distribution program of Sindh Government.

She is designated as a General Secretary in that Organization. She is very active in social works. Having

finished PDI Training, she goes to Field work with PDI Team. She stands by the poor women of the

different villages and also engages in filling the forms and submits the application forms to DO Office.

Those women who are supported by PDI, they have also visited their lands with PDI Team. “I am really

happy and feel more empowered while being able to solve the problems of the local women” she says

happily.

In the second phase of land distribution, She and her organization are working side by side with PDI,

participating in the awareness sessions with the women about filling and submitting their application

forms. She also attends the camps which PDI organizes for the women who visit the open katcharies for

the grant of land and also fills their forms in the camps.

“I am now proud of being any worth for poor women of my area. It is really great empowerment which I

feel and I would continue to work for women with more vigor” she exclaimed.


32

Case Study#13

Gul Jan Enjoying Her Real Empowerment District Umerkot, Sindh

Mother of five Gul Jan in Village Jumo Rind UC Nabisar Umerkot has now leading role in her

family. Her husband did wood cutting to feed the family. The conditions of the family started

changing when Gul Jan was granted 14 acres of state land under the land distribution program of

provincial Sindh Government. She also received cash support for land leveling and other

agriculture inputs under government‟s agriculture support package.

Although the first crop on the land could not yield good produce

due to the land under no cultivation since long. She was not

disappointed as on the second season she tool loan from the

middleman to arrange for seed and other inputs and cultivated her

land. This time the luck was on her side as her land produced a

bumper crop of makae and Bajra.” We received net profit of Rs

20,000 after deducting the loan which we had received” She said

happily.

They have also cultivated third crop on the eight acres of land.

They have taken small loans from the middle men; however, Gul

Jan is confident that they would be able to pay back this small loan

after good crop produce. She is one of those land grantees who

have even engaged other landless peasants on sharecropping basis

to cultivate more and more land.

“ Yes, our days are changed now, as in the past it was very difficult

to even feed the children with the meager earnings from the wood

cutting of this man” she points to her husband, seated close to her.

She says that her decision making power in the household matters has increased and she has also

made some purchases for her house. She says that she loves good dresses and previously her

husband would purchase very cheap dresses for her but now with money and empowerment, she

has purchased some costly dress for her to wear specially during weddings of the relatives.


33

Case Stud#14

Shaher Bano Wins Her Legal Battle and her Land


Shaher Bano 45-year old hailing from taluka

Mirpursakro village Sahib Khan Lashari, Deh Gaghi

district Thatta, is a fortunate woman, who is able to

cultivate her allotted 8 acres land after winning the

case at office of the revenue official with help of

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI).

She is mother of four children who along with

spouse mostly did labor on lands owned by others to

feed her family.

Bano said that her husband came to know through a

newspaper that Sindh government had granted 8 acres land to them on state allotted land. But a

man, Alam Sher Hadia lodged litigation case against them before the office of EDO Thatta,

claiming that this land belonged to him. She said she was upset and gave up all hopes. But PDI

team members met with her and decided to fight her case and also provide her livelihood support

package including goats.

Participatory Development Initiatives under its Land for Women Program with the support of

Oxfam GB have been carrying out awareness programs using local methods of awaring women

about the application process and about the importance of the opportunity. PDI and Oxfam had

distributed application forms, to thousands of women, assisted them in applying and even at the

day of Open Katchari arranged for the transportation of Women from their villages. While PDI

and Oxfam have also been providing legal support and agricultural packages to women land

grantees after the land distribution program and engaging in advocacy for a transparent

distribution program by the Sindh Government.

PDI Legal Aid Committee member Gul Mohammad Khushak was selected as her lawyer to fight

her case and appeared before the EDO Revenue.

The PDI lawyer team on 09.06.2010 informed her that the PDI has won her case and gave the

copy of the decision to her. The PDI also helped her to get other land documents including „7th

form,‟ which makes her entitled of this land.

Ms Bano said now she has decided to work hard on her allotted land. She said it was her dream

to provide education to her children.


34

Case Study#15

Case Study of Shahnaz Arisar

District Umerkot, Sindh

During the Land Distribution Program of Sindh Government in September 2008 thousands of

acres of land was to be given to women and during this important moment in the history

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and Oxfam had joined hands to ensure the program

to be more participatory and transparent for the local communities. For this cause PDI and

Oxfam have been conducting awareness campaigns, mobilization of local women, facilitating

them in getting land and also providing them support after the land distribution program.

PDI and Oxfam-GB have provided agriculture

input support to those women land grantees

who don‟t have resources to cultivate their land

and feed their family members a healthy food

diet. Shahnaz wife of Mohammad Sadiq Arisar,

living in village Kamaludin Arisar UC Shah

Mardan Shah taluka Pithoro district Umerkot

was allotted 5 acres of land by Sindh

government under Sindh Government land

distribution program.

Forty-year old woman Shahnaz has two

daughters, sons and living along with her

spouse in her mother's home. She was worried as she did not have enough resources to start

cultivation of her land (given by government). The PDI officials met her and provided her seed,

fertilizer and gave her money to rent a tractor to start cultivation. PDI not only provided

agricultural input support, but also provided her three goats.

The PDI officials visited her land site regularly and communicate with her for achieving better

crops of wheat. PDI and Oxfam-GB agriculture input support proved blessing for such women

who mostly depend on others for nutrition of foods for their family.

“After receiving support from PDI I have become self sufficient in producing milk and using

milk as healthy food diet in dinner for my family” Says Shahnaz, I am no more dependent on

others to buy wheat flour because my wheat crop is ready for harvest and I will soon start

reaping fruit of her crop”.

She said that she would store wheat for whole year requirement of her family and also earn

money by selling surplus wheat. She added that the PDI‟s support proved very helpful for her.

Government only allotted land to me but neither provided money nor agri-inputs to start

cultivation. PDI official informed Shahnaz that this is our mission to serve people and open door


35

for their economic empowerment, especially women like (Shahnaz) living in rural areas of

Pakistan.


36

Case Study#16

“Zainab’s Patch of Heaven”


It is often shared with much delight that whoever visits Zainab at her home in Village Sahib

Khan Lashari, listens to her happy story of how her small patch of land that she got in the

Government‟s Land Distribution Program is turning out to be a patch of heaven and also gets a

refreshing cup of tea from the goats PDI gave her! She

is proud to be a landowner herself and feels the dignity

within being a property holder in the family.

“There were times I dreaded lunch and dinner times

for my own family, having none in my hands I had

become irritated towards what life offered me as a

peasant”, Says Zainab, “Even being peasants ourselves

we were land less and obligated to work on the land of

Landlords and face the thrashing and small wages as

our fate”, She continues, “but now things are different

for me, I am generous because I know Allah heard me

pray and thanks to PDI my land is a patch of heaven on earth”.

Zainab wife of Mehar Khan Lashari lives in a small village called Sahib Khan Lashari with her 3

daughters and 1 son and his wife. Her village lies in Talka Mirpur Sakro with about 38 km from

Thatta.

A few months back Zainab heard about Governments Land Distribution Program and applied for

that, Her luck did turn up as she could win 4 acres of Land in that phase but the fact that Living

on just a few rupee‟s of money from the daily wages as the only income from her son and

husband, it was almost impossible to cultivate the land she was granted with.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) supported by Oxfam GB provided Zainab with the

Agricultural Package as well as leveling of her land which was filled with shrubs and was in a

bad condition, PDI also provided her the Alternative Livelihood Package of 3 goats to go with

until the harvesting season has approached.

“When I first set off with my son to see where and how my land was, I couldn’t believe what lay

ahead of me. The land was entirely filled with deep holes, Shrubs and impossible rocks. I had felt

sadness to how much dearly I wanted to own something, and here I was with a piece of land

which could perhaps never be cultivated”, Says Zainab.


37

Soon things did turn up for her, and right when Zainab found it impossible to crop on that land,

she insists it‟s the most beautiful 4 acres anyone could have, when tractors drove in by PDI‟s

volunteers and leveled, plowed the land while she stood proudly examining the progress.

“It feels good, too good to own something”, she goes on excitedly, “I am really thankful to PDI

to be a family for me when I felt that no one shows ownership towards poor people in this

world”.

Its been a long time since when Zainab did her first harvest of wheat, she is now planning on

changing what she grows on that land, and also plans to save some of the income that is enough

to let her and her family live a life of happiness without dependency and sham


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Case Study# 17

Aami Became a Land Lady


Ms Aami is a poor widow with four children. She lives in Baghan Village of Tehsil Kharo Chan.

Her husband died some four years back. She was living in a miserable condition in a thatched hut

house. She used to feed her children while working in the fields of others.

Ms Aami was fortunate to receive four acres

of land under Sindh Government‟s land

Distribution Program. However, this proved a

short lived happiness for Aami as the local

influential landlords occupied the land and

refused to give possession to Aami to

cultivate the land.

PDI team was there to support her. PDI team

held a meeting with EDO Revenue District

Thatta and informed him about the

occupation of the land granted to Ms Aami.

EDO Revenue issued orders to tehsil level

Revenue officials to visit the area and get the

land vacated from the illegal occupation. The

Tehsil Revenue officials took action and freed the land from occupation and provided legal land

ownership documents to Ms Aami.

PDI with the support of Oxfam have been active from the beginning of the land distribution

program of Sindh Government in raising awareness of local women, mobilizing and organizing

them for their property rights, providing facilitation on the day of distribution and also providing

legal and agricultural support to women land grantees after the distribution process.

Although the poor Aami became a landlady but again there was problem as to how she would

cultivate the land. PDI team against came to her support. PDI team included her name in the list

of those women whom PDI and Oxfam GB were providing agriculture input support to cultivate

their lands. PDI arranged ploughing and levelling of her land through tractor and provided her

seed and fertilizer to cultivate the land. She was happy and working hard.

As there was no male family member to work on the fields Ms Aami herself worked the whole

day on the land to remove the bushes and cultivate the land. She cultivate wheat crop on her four

acres of land. Now a good wheat crop is standing on her land. PDI also provided her 3 goats to

ensure her support till the harvesting of the crop. Ms Aami says that there were days that she and

her children would eat meal with onions but now she and her children are able to eat meal with


39

the milk. She is also selling some milk to the local hotel to earn and save some money for the

difficult days.

Now a days Aami is very happy and she is preparing to send her small child in the school as

previously she even was not able to think about sending her child to school


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Case Study# 18

Leadership role of Rasheeda Saand District Umerkot, Sindh

Rasheeda Saand lives in village Kharoro Charan union council kharoro Syed Taluka Umerkot.

She is also lady Health Worker (LHW). Her Husband is an agriculture laborer. She has two sons

and three daughters, and her elder son is studying in first year and a little baby is in a primary

school.

PDI team during its Umerkot district field

visit met with Rasheeda and found her a

learned lady in the remote rural area where

no other lady had even primary education.

The area was important because land was

being distributed among the landless

women in the area by Government of

Sindh.

Rashida always wanted to do something

for the local women however, had no idea

what to do although she was a real social

women of the area. PDI team during the

visit of the area, held detailed meeting with

Rasheeda and motivated her to establish a local organization with the key objective of supporting

the women who are applying for receiving land from the Government of Sindh. With the

mobilization, sensitization and capacity building by PDI team, Rashida and her team of local

women colleagues established local Women‟s Organization named “Women Rights

Organization Umerkot. She was elected as the president of the organization. “ I had a dream that

I would once become a leader and would work for the local women. I believe that the dream is

now coming true” she says happily.

Once the organization was launched the key issue was to develop the organizational skills of the

office bearers of the organization. PDI organized trainings on organizational management

including team building and management, leadership skills and financial management etc for the

key office bearers of the organization.

With this skill in hand, the team started working in the area with the leadership pf Rasheeda

Saand. They got their organization from the districts government and started creating awareness

among the local women to be ready for applying for land in the second phase of land distribution

program. Rasheeda and her team was also engaged in resolving the problems of the women land

grantees who had received land in the first phase of the land distribution.

As the second phase of land distribution started in Umerkot district, Rasheed and her team

became active in informing the rural women to apply for land. Rasheeda started visiting different


41

areas, distributing the application forms published by PDI among the poor women and even

getting their application forms filled and guiding them how and where to submit forms for the

grant of land. She became a symbol of hope for the local women as she not only visited different

areas but also she and her team was active in managing camps for the women who come to the

open kutcharies for the grant of land. “ A number of women have recived land on the application

forms filled by my and with my support and guidance. I am really happy that I am able to service

my sisters. It is really a great change” she said

She has emerged as leader in the area as a lot of women are now visiting her CBO and receiving

advice from her about their land grant related problems. She also was taking women delegations

to the local government authorities to raise their issues. The women in Umerkot consider her a

great hope for their future.


42

Case Study# 19

Story of your support to Salehan Bibi District Thatta, Sindh

They are not wrong when they say, “Hope is a good thing”. It’s a life saver, a tiny rope to hold

on when falling off a cliff and sometimes a salvation from bitter diseases. Hope just like that for

Salehan bibi of District Thatta became the reason to live, to continue to struggle for basic needs

and important of all wait with a shine of hope in her heart. This here is the story of a Salehan,

the woman who lived through a life where problems came with the passing time but who chose to

be patient and believe in the betterment of her days.

In Sindh the road to Jati, Thatta district twists and

turns with a lot of pits and dunes, a lot of small

houses pass by, houses made of wood, thoroughly

structured together. Sometimes dark old palm

leaves dangling from the roof with paved front

porch where children in dirt packed cheeks and

hands play marble. One can always say that life in

this coastal area of Pakistan stands still, where

nothing moves ahead, nothing goes farther and time

halts.

But then again a few things HAVE changed here, now instead of the wooden houses each sides

of the road greets the passerby with desperate conditions of flood survivors, living in small tents,

sleeping on the open lands and children as usually playing….but in this time in flood water.

Among these tents on the left side of the road towards Jati is the one where Salehan lives with

her 23 Family members.

Salehan wife of Anwar Shah is a 62 year old woman belonging to a small village called Allah

Dino Mallah, in Tehsil Jati of District Thatta of Sindh Province which is at about 45 kms from

where she is now. To anyone Salehan is another flood victim, generalized enough to be among

the needy families in Thatta and forgotten after giving a pack of rice. But Salehan when having

to sit with has a story to tell.

Her story begins in that small village called Allah Dino Mallah, Where Salehan lived with her

parents, sister to 3 brothers and 2 sisters, one of which is abnormal who now lives with her.

While the others like her brothers married and are now living separately. She too was married

and sent off to a new home, a new family where once again poverty and rising inflation caused

them with a lot of problems, right when they used to have 3 to 4 cows and goat‟s now only one

cow was left while others sold out to provide for needs.

“This life here (after flood) doesn’t surprise me at all; my life has always been filled with

struggles, sad moments and hardships”. Salehan says.


43

As a child Salehan had seen her parents fighting severe kind of poverty, which came like the

cultural Jahez (dowry) in her life as well, as each day after her marriage her husband walked

distances to go to the landlords land to work on small wages, she belonging to a syed (cast-wise

strict system) family was supposed to stay in parda (veil) but as times became a challenge and

for the survival of her children she chose to step out of her home with her husband in search of

daily wage labors.

When marrying off 4 sons can be a reason to celebrate for a few, they had been an initiative to

grow the hardships for Salehan, sons already struggling with poverty and lack of jobs and each

one of them with 4 to 6 children now had about 23 stomachs to feed. Due to rising poverty three

of her sons chose to live go separate ways with their families while one still lives with them with

his 7 children.

Soon, old age became another problem when moving her legs to walk about a mile would send

her off in pain back to the house, her frail hands couldn‟t accept the work of everyday and her

son along with his wife took over the responsibility to bring enough money for daily needs.

Life went on for Salehan just like that until she along with the other womenin her village heard

about the land distribution program of Banazir Bhutto by PDIs FM Radio Initiative for

awareness raising.

“I couldn’t believe it at first, we never thought anything like that happened. But since everyone

else was applying I too applied for a patch of my own land”, Salehan shares.

Holding her breath until the time of Katchari when the distributed land was announced she had

prayed for her own land until it happened. Her hopes and dreams did come true when her name

was announced and she was given off eight acres of land. But as Salehan says hardships are a

part of herlife, another problem jumped forward with the advent of this celebration. A family

from a different tribe in her village who were well off enough claimed the land and declared

Salehan as an illegal possessor.

The team of Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and Oxfam approached her and she was

assisted to appeal for filing of a case against the certain person. Different types of Media such as

press, FM, tv channels, posters, banners were used to campaign against illegal occupation of land

by the opposing party and before even the case could be filed Salehan and her husband came to

know that the opposing family is surrendering.

But what Salehan didn‟t knew was that this surrender was rather a trap where the opposition

party decided to keep her quiet and stay out of danger of going to the court and declared that that

land would be given to her but kept on using the land for theirown benefit and months passed by.

And right when PDI was about to take the matters to the court, Pakistan Floods took the villages

of Thatta off guard as the Soorjani Band brokeforcing half a million people to migrate within the

night. Salehan like others departed from her village and faced another round of helplessness,

poverty and problems.


44

“We rushed away from the village renting a truck that cost us 20,000 for all of our family

members and a few possessions. my grandchildren were in bad conditions”, She says, “we lived

in a small school in Badin where the heat and diseases attacked us all”.

Salehan and her family were soon forced to leave that school after a month, having nowhere in

mind and knowing their own home stood in water they had no idea as where to go. And then is

when they hired another vehicle to come live on this road side with no food, water, shelter or

money.

They have been living here for two months now, Eid-Ul-fitr that‟s the biggest celebration of

Muslim countries was celebrated in the small school while this Eid that is after two days,

Salehan still cant provide for anything for her grandchildren. The little children when cry and ask

her for new cloths and bangles, her heart mourns at the thought about her own childhood when

she desperately wanted new things on eid and now her grandchildren too are deprived of it, but

she isn‟t hopeless.

“We will still fight for our land because winning it back is really important for me, she says, it

will help my family not even now but later in their lives and provide for their small dreams”.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) where promised to fight her case in the next months

is also going to reward her for her continues hopefulness and for her uplifting thoughts. For the

next months PDI is going to provide her family with recovery package of household kits,

hygiene kits and monthly rashan for their recovery initiative. But then again PDI won‟t forget

that all this is not just from their behalf because it‟s a gift from the people from around the

world…


45

Case Studies by Caroline Gluck

-After Pakistan Floods New Worries About Debt and Land Rights

Naimats story District Thatta, Sindh

Naimat Ahmed's village in Thatta district, in

Sindh, is still under water. She shows me her

flooded field, where she'd been growing rice,

wading into the waters to show me how high

the levels still remain. She opens up the door to

her simple mudand-thatch home, which is full

of squelchy mud. She won't be able to move

back inside until the ground dries out and has to

sleep with others in the village out in the open

air, in makeshift shelters constructed from

wooden poles with cotton sheeting as a roof.

Yet she and a group of other women in the

village were determined to head back home as

quickly as possible after Pakistan's devastating floods to protect their stake to the land.

"Our land is here. We feared if we didn't come back quickly, people would come and stay here

and take things from our homes", Naimat Ahmed told me.

Naimat's wish to protect her precious assets is understandable. Until earlier this year, she had no

land at all, until she was awarded four acres under the Sindh provincial government's land re-

distribution programme. It's the first scheme of its kind in South Asia, where tracts of state-

owned land are given to landless women peasants in an attempt to begin reducing poverty and

bring about much wider social changes in rural areas.

It's estimated 60% of people in Sindh are landless, while large areas of farmland are owned by

small, wealthy and politically influential elites. And now Pakistan's devastating floods, which

destroyed homes, fields and livestock, are forcing some of the poorest in Pakistan, without

adequate food, shelter, or jobs, deeper into debt.

"This was going to be my first crop from my own land and the rice was almost ready to harvest.

Then the floods came", said Naimat. "Everything was destroyed. I can't see how we can get

enough food and it will be several months before we can use our land again.

But even then we don‟t have money for seed and fertilizers, She said, we have debts from shops

that have given us credit. Things are difficult."

Sindh was the region worst-affected by the floods; and in many areas flood waters still remain

stubbornly high, refusing to drain away. More than a million people remain displaced, their

homes damaged or destroyed. The worry is that when families do return home, new disputes


46

could arise over land as many boundaries, previously marked by irrigation channels, have been

washed away and ownership records have been destroyed.

Land disputes had arisen even before the floods. The first phase of Sindh's land redistribution

programme had some serious flaws and was tainted by allegations of nepotism and corruption.

Aasi’s Story


Mother of six, Aasi Mallah, was physically

attacked by people in her village in Jati town who

disputed her claim to land after she had been

awarded a four acre plot by the provincial

government. "Our land was a blessing. But a large

group of people gathered and threatened us; they

became violent and beat us", she told me,

showing me a scar on her daughter's face.

Aasi and her family were forced to flee their

village and now live on a small plot of land by a

roadside owned by her husband's former landlord,

determined to pursue her land battle through the

courts. It could be a long process. Oxfam and its

partner, Participatory Development Initiatives,

have been helping Aasi and other women like her

with legal support as well as spreading awareness

among some of the poorest in Sindh about their

rights to claim for land under the re-distribution

scheme.

Some of the original flaws in the land programme have been ironed out thanks to groups like

PDI and Oxfam. And despite the flood the authorities in Sindh have pledged to continue with the

scheme, rolling it out to more areas across the province.

"Property rights for women in Pakistan is a rarity - and sometimes an impossibility", said Saima

Hassan, PDI's Land for Women Programme officer. "The distribution of government land to

landless peasant women in Sindh is a historic initiative. And while it has had flaws, we're trying

to make sure that all the women eligible for land under the scheme receive it; and can change

their status from peasant to landowner."

The hope is that not only will the scheme continue to be rolled out across Sindh, but also in other

parts of Pakistan; giving some of the poorest families a chance to own land that, for generations,


47

they've cultivated and lived on; a chance to finally begin to lift themselves out of the cycle of

poverty and debt


48

Fighting for Their Land

By Caroline Gluck


When 58 year old mother of seven,

Suhagan, was awarded eight acres of

land more than a year ago as part of a

new landmark initiative by Pakistan‟s

Sindh provincial government, she

thought her luck had changed.

Suhagan was one of thousands of women

targeted by the authorities in a

programme aimed at empowering some

of the poorest laborers in Sindh. The

authorities had earmarked over 200,000

acres of land it owned and planned to

redistribute it. For the first time in

Pakistan‟s history, poor landless women would be the key beneficiaries.

As much as 60% of the population in Sindh are landless.

Suhagan‟s family owned no land and scraped by as day labourers; often struggling to make ends

meet.

But her happiness was short-lived. One month after she learnt she had been allocated land in

Mohammad Khan Jatt village, in Thatta district, a counter-claim was submitted by a rich

landowner.

“I was very angry when the land was claimed by another person. It was my rightful land! It

was very painful to me”, said Suhagan as she recounted her long legal battle for recognition.

“Land is very important for my children; our family needs land. Life is very miserable if you

have no land. I have so many children; and it is very hard to feed them and send them to school

if you don‟t have land”.

Suhagan‟s case is not unique. But she was one of the lucky ones. Thanks to help from PDI

(Participatory Development Initiatives), a local organization supported by Oxfam, Suhagan

received legal help to fight her case. The ordeal lasted more than a year. And during that time

she had to sell two precious cows to pay for some of her travel costs to attend legal hearings.

“Now we are landlords. We are now owners of the land. We have our own house; we will have

enough food to eat and we will feel proud”, she said smiling, as we chatted in her one-roomed

mud hut.


49

As she spoke, two other women in the room nodded their heads in approval. Porhi and Rahima,

both from the same village, were also awarded land. Yet they‟re going through similar legal

battles.

They talk about rich “influential” landlords who were trying to prevent them from claiming the

small plots of land.

“The government has given us this land and its ours. We will fight to keep it. Other people

with a lot of land are threatening us and trying to snatch our land from us..but its ours!”, said

Porhi defiantly.

With legal support from PDI she‟s confident that they, too, will win their case. It‟s a David and

Goliath battle. But, unfortunately, the problem doesn‟t necessarily stop in the courts.

Suhagan leads me nearby to the farmland that she now owns. Its caked dry and wind whips the

sandy soil into our eyes. It‟s hard to believe much will grow in what seems to be to be an

unforgiving landscape.

She‟s planning to plant rice. But a tractor she hired to plough the land stands idle. Its two front

tyres punctured and deflated. I‟m told it was the work of people who still dispute the court

ruling.

As we talk, a man arrives – a relative of the landowner who fought the original land allocation.

He shouts angrily, saying the land should be his. Suhagan and her family remain defiant.

They know the land is rightfully theirs. They‟ve stood their ground, raised their voices and

challenged others who have sought to wield power and influence over them before. They will

do so again.


50

Helping the Landless Become Landowners

By Caroline Gluck


“The women peasants of Sindh have awakened – and now she will be the landlady; the owner of

the land” (slogan sung by women at events organized by Oxfam’s partner, Participatory

Development Initiatives, PDI)

They came by bus and by truck. Some,

like Hajiana, even walked part of the

way barefoot, for more than an hour,

to a packed centre in Gora Bari town,

Thatta district, in Pakistan‟s Sindh

province, where hundreds of women

had gathered. They were here to

hand in their applications to formally

claim state land which was being

reallocated to some of the province‟s

poorest women in a landmark land

distribution programme aimed at

helping some of the most marginalized

and poorest people. Many would hear

the same day if they‟d been successful.

Hajiana, who doesn‟t know her age, shyly held out her thumb, which was now covered in blue

ink, to show that she had registered her papers and was waiting to see if she would be among

those formally awarded land for the first time.

“We have nothing. We‟ve got by from fishing; but stocks are reduced these days. It is hard to

make any good livelihood”, she told me. “I have come today to seek land.

“If we get our own land, we can feed our family and earn more money. Sometimes, we have

enough to eat; but often, its not enough”.

Unlike India, Pakistan did not carry out essential land reforms soon after independence. As a

result, critics say, Pakistan‟s agricultural and rural sectors are characterized by highly feudal

relationships which keep many in abject poverty, included bonded labour. It is estimated that

more than 60% of farmers in Sindh are landless, while vast tracts of farmland are still owned by

a small wealthy elites who wield huge political and social influence.

Sindh‟s land distribution programme is seen as a bold step forward: for the first time in Pakistan

as well as South Asia, state land is being distributed to landless women peasants in an attempt to

begin reducing poverty and bring about much wider social changes in rural areas.


51

When I visited the packed kutchari, or open hearing, it was bustling with activity. Many women

and their families had traveled in vans organized by Participatory Development Initiatives, PDI,

a local partner supported by Oxfam, to ensure as many deserving women as possible had the

chance to register for land. PDI staff were also on-hand to help those unable to read and write to

fill out land application forms; and for weeks earlier, had carried out awareness campaigns about

the land distribution programme, including using local radio broadcasts, to ensure as many

deserving people as possible could benefit from the scheme.

“It‟s very important for me to get land”, said mother of four, Janata, who currently farms on

four-acres of land belonging to her landlord. Her family only receives a quarter of the crops

they cultivate; while the landlord takes the rest.

“We want land of our own to pass onto our children; to have our own house and not live with

threats or the fear of having to move. A landlord can ask us to leave at any time” she explained.

Another lady, Sakina, who traveled with her six year old son, chipped in. “Security is a priority

for us. If we own land, we will have a safe house; no corrupt people can snatch our crops from

us….There are always threats from influential people who can take the land for us.”

Around 43,000 acres of state-owned land has already been distributed in the first phase of the

programme, which had prioritized women landless peasants. But civic groups like PDI had

pointed out a number of flaws in the scheme. Much of the land allocated proved uncultivable –

because it was affected by salinity; waterlogged, unleveled or had multiple ownership claims –

which led to protracted legal battles. PDI has been helping many women with legal support to

fight their cases through the courts.

The second phase of distribution is now solely targeting landless women and hopes to iron out

many of the flaws in the original process, as well as offering women longer-term packages of

agricultural support including providing seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and technical help.

Faisal Uqiali, coordinator of Sindh government‟s Land Distribution Programme, acknowledges

that about 50% of the original land allocated had proved problematic. But he says lessons have

been learnt and that around 80% of cases have been settled. He said officials were also under

strict orders to ensure greater transparency, to stop nepotism and corruption in the second phase

of the distribution process.

“You need to say the glass is half full instead of half-empty”, he told me. “When you meet

these success stories, women are now making a livelihood for their husbands and families.

There is a marked difference.

“If change is coming in the life of the people for this allotted land and for a fairly large

percentage of people, then it‟s the start of success.”


52

Mother-of-seven, Beebul Hassan‟s face lights up as she holds up a slip of paper with a signature

showing she has been successful in her application. She is now the proud owner of four acres of

land.

“I still don‟t believe I am a winner here”, she said. “I can‟t help making plans about how I will

now use my land”. She says she wants to start growing wheat, chillies, tomatoes and vegetables;

and for the very first time, a family home on land that she now can call her own.


53

Epilogue:

The Land For Women Campaign has been a learning process for both PDI and

Oxfam, we have been touched each story that we came across and have been

fortunate connect with those women who struggled hard to become what they

are today, The journey to providing direct ownership of property to women

wasn’t easy but everything that challenged us also inspired us in many ways and

as this journey still goes further we thank our partner Oxfam in believing in us

and providing us the path to where we can directly make an impact in the lives

of thousands of Women in Sindh.

Now as we still go further on our journey, we will not forget to respect your

opinions, your decisions and comments, So write to us and let us know what do

you think of our work or if you need to know more about our work in our

various other programs, let us know!

To A Pro Poor Development,


[email protected]


PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES [PDI]

Karachi Office:

Office# 786, Mezzanine

Floor, Baloch Center,

Upper Gizri, Clifton

Karachi , Pakistan

Ph. 92+21-5362353

Fax. 92+21-5362353

[email protected]

Website:

www.pdi.org.pk

Khuzdar Office :

Near Metrological

Department Office,

Zahidabad,

Chemroke, Khuzdar,

Balochistan

Ph. 92-0848-412251

Fax 92-0848-

412251

PDI Quetta Office :

Suit # 214, Universal

Complex, Phase-1

Jinnah Road Quetta

Pakistan.

Phone: 92-81-

2834689

Fax: 92-81-2834689

Thatta Sindh Office

Gajo Raod, Garho,

Tehsil Kharo Chhan

District Thatta

Phone: 92-298-

619081

Fax: 92-298-

619081

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.pdi.org.pk/

our land our empowerment pdi case study collection

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