Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Recollections and remembrances

introduced by Ayub Khan, Bhutto family lost lot of their family lands inJacobabad District. Later, when he himself introduced land reforms, he said thathe will suffer a loss of 40 thousand acres. Under these reforms he and his childrenwill lose more. But since he was born to improve the lot of poor in the country heenforced these reforms in the best interest of the country.A lot of Bhutto Sahib’s agricultural land was given to landless harees under theseland reforms. Bhutto Sahib had told one not to demand crop share in future frontthese harees. However, a lac of rupees was outstanding to these persons as“Takawi” loan I had instructed my Kamdar Allah Bux to recover this amount indue course of time. But this fellow Allah Bux without taking permission from megave an application to Mukhtiarkar that the harees are refusing to pay Takawiloan. The Mukhtiarkar ordered police to arrest the persons. When Bhutto Sahibcame to Larkana one of the relatives of these persons gave an application to himthat Kamdar Allah Bux was demanding crop share from them and when theyrefused he had them arrested. Bhutto Sahib immediately issued instructions forarrest of his Kamdar and an enquiry into the episode. Although these harees hadmisrepresented their case but Kamdar was arrested. I went to the DeputyCommissioner for his release. He told me that he has been arrested on BhuttoSahib’s orders for demanding crop share from harees of lands which wereallotted to them under land reforms.I showed him documentary evidence that we were only demanding our Takawiloan. It was then our Kamdar was released on bail. When I came to Larkana andmet Sahib I explained the position to him and complained about the wrongtreatment. He said, “Qayum, you want to recover your loan by having these poorharees arrested.” I replied ”they were refusing payment.” He smiled and said.“Qayum when we have given land worth lacs of rupees what is the Value of thisloan which you want to recover. Go and write off these loans. This was thecuriosity of Bhutto Sahib. Unlike other zamindars, he himself saw that his landswere distributed among the landless harees without any hindrances.A road to village Doso Daro passed near our farm. Mr. Mumtaz Ali Bhutto wasChief Minister of Sindh at that time. A thick forest had grown over his landswhich were completely uncultivated, but nevertheless, a metallic road passedthrough the jungle as this area was hunting resort of Mumtaz Ali Bhutto. Ourvillage Izat Jewan was two miles away from the road. About 250 persons lived inthis village. Majority of these villagers worked on the lands. These people workedwith great hardships during the summer and rainy seasons. Once I requestedBhutto Sahib that a two mile link with the mountain road could provide relief tothe residents of the village. “No, no, a government constructed road cannot passthrough my lands.” was the reply. I said. “Sir I am not asking for road on mylands. All I want is road for a village which deserves it like any other citizen ofPakistan and more over government roads are being constructed in jungles but aZulfikar Ali Bhutto, Recollections and Remembrances; Copyright © www.bhutto.org 64