Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the role of compensation and resettlement process which is marred by weak political institutions, leading to a remote possibility of just sustainable futures.

Paper long abstract:

In Pakistan, the impact of infrastructure development is often measured in economic terms, without taking into consideration the effect on the lives of ordinary citizens, who bear the brunt of development-related harms. Often, development projects result in forced displacement, a process that affects everyday lives of people and further reduces their well-being at large. This is common because there is hardly any formal framework in place that can mitigate the impact of forced displacement due to government failure in establishing formal networks with displaced communities. Resettlement plans (if any) involving land displacement for infrastructure projects are designed arbitrarily. Only, those affected/displaced people who have access to key political and administrative personnel, often via informal means, exercise bargaining power when it comes to suitable resettlement terms and receiving cash compensation. Hence, the prospects of sustainable futures and formal political networks are gravely marginalized. The informal networks, in terms of resources, becomes a determining factor in the bargaining power of displaced. But the irony is that very few displaced people have access to key political positions in terms of resettlement and compensation, at the cost of larger displaced population. This is because mostly displaced families are unaware pertinent to Land Acquisition Act 1894. Employing a mixed-method approach, empirical analysis suggest that awareness is a determining factor in the sustainable resettlement of displaced, whereas qualitative interviews with stakeholders suggest that informal networks outweigh formal ones in context of suitable resettlement and receiving cash compensation.