April 1, 2026
By Aitzaz Ibrahim
LAHORE:
A joint meeting of farmer organizations, residents, and civil society representatives was held at the SAFMA Auditorium in Lahore to strongly oppose the government’s decision to evict peasants from Katora Farm, a large agricultural area located in Hasilpur tehsil of Bahawalpur district in Punjab.
The meeting was organized by the Pakistan Kissan Rabta Committee in collaboration with Anjuman Muzareen Punjab and was attended by representatives of trade unions, farmer groups, civil society members, and residents of Katora Farm. Participants unanimously rejected the government’s move to vacate the land and termed the eviction notices unjust and against the rights of local communities.
The government has issued notices to the residents and tenant farmers of Katora Farm, directing them to vacate the land by April 3, following a 30-day ultimatum. The disputed land spans approximately 1,340 acres and is home to nearly 15,000 people, most of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The participants of the meeting expressed serious concern over the potential displacement of such a large population.
Speakers at the meeting stated that the residents of Katora Farm have been cultivating the land for generations and have developed it from barren terrain into fertile agricultural fields. According to the residents, their ancestors were granted this land during the British colonial period with the assurance that they would be given ownership rights after making it cultivable. They further claimed that similar promises were made by successive governments after the creation of Pakistan, but these commitments have yet to be fulfilled.
The participants argued that evicting the farmers at this stage would not only deprive them of their homes and livelihoods but would also amount to a violation of their historical and moral rights over the land. They urged the government to reconsider its decision and to formally recognize the ownership claims of the residents.
On the other hand, the government maintains that Katora Farm is state-owned land and that the occupants do not hold legal ownership. However, residents and farmer organizations expressed fears that the land may eventually be leased out to multinational corporations, raising concerns about the future of small-scale farmers and local communities.
Civil society representatives also voiced their support for the farmers, emphasizing the need to protect vulnerable communities from forced evictions.
At the conclusion of the meeting, trade unions, farmer organizations, and civil society groups jointly announced a nationwide protest on April 17 against the eviction orders. They vowed to resist any attempt to forcibly remove the residents from the land and pledged to continue their struggle for farmers’ rights.