UNRAVELING LAND LITIGATION: UNDERSTANDING CAUSES, IMPACTS, AND STRATEGIES FOR RESOLUTION IN DISTRICT BAHAWALNAGAR

Abstract

This study aims to identify and analyses the determinants of land litigation in Pakistan by applying a qualitative approach. Data was collected through interviews with a diverse group of key stakeholders, including additional district collectors, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, tehsildars, patwaris, lawyers, and revenue officers. The study reveals that major determinants of land litigation include Land Mafias and Corruption, Legal and Administrative Issues, Urbanization and Development, Socio-Economic Factors, Disparities Created by the British Land Revenue System, and Colonial Land Grants and the Zamindari System. Each of these themes encompasses several specific factors contributing to land disputes. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay of these determinants and offer insights that can be applied to address and mitigate issues related to land mafias and corruption, legal and administrative inefficiencies, urbanization pressures, socio-economic disparities, historical land practices, and colonial legacies.