Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the unsettling land debates and development in Pakistan pertinent to Land Acquisition Act (1894) thereby reflecting on land governance and resettlement in policy and practice in context of Metro Line project in Lahore City which has led to the human displacement.

Paper long abstract:

In these times of major social, economic and political change, it is highly imperative to reflect on the unsettling development caused by the land issues. In Pakistan, unsettling development and land debates have considerably surged over the years, particularly in regard to the legislation of land acquisition , that is, Land Acquisition Act (1894), which is a relic of colonial times, when landowners were marginalized and their land was forcibly acquired for “public purposes” against their will. Although, decision making pertinent to land governance is still based on this statute, however, with the evolving and changing nature of political and institutional factors, there is a need for an alternate paradigm. Recently, the construction of 27 km Orange Line Metro Train track in the metropolitan city of Lahore has brought the issue of questionable land acquisition to the surface again. Against this backdrop, this paper employs a qualitative approach to explore the political and institutional dimensions of Land Acquisition Act (1894) via thematic analysis and strives to rethink agendas related to land policy and practice. For this purpose, a sample of 20 stakeholders comprising affectees, policy makers, regulators and ordinary citizens from different professions were selected and based on their in-depth interviews, major themes regarding land acquisition, compensation provision, forced evictions, resettlement and rehabilitation issues among others were emerged. These emerging themes have immense implication for all the stakeholders