SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF LAND DISPUTES IN DISTRICT DIR LOWER

Abstract

Land disputes are indeed a key factor in the disintegration and destabilization of developing societies like Pakistan. The present study was undertaken to find out the major causes, as well as consequences, of land disputes in Lower Dir district. On the basis of land disputes cases from 2001- 2010, 250 respondents were selected from the whole universe through stratified random sampling technique, including 50 respondents from land disputes related office bearers and lawyers. An interview schedule and a questionnaire were used for the collection of data from land-disputants and land related officers, lawyers respectively. Then the collected data was analyzed through SPSS. It was found that the major causes behind land disputes in the study area were mass illiteracy, non- existence of land registration system, increase in land value, greed and lust, defective land administration system and inefficiency of land disputes resolving institutions. Many socio-economic impacts of land disputes were detected through the present research study such as heavy expenditure on litigations that leads to poverty and indebtedness, wastage of time, source of enmity and psychological complexities. The role of formal and informal land disputes resolution agencies were also taken into consideration which was unsatisfactory. To overcome the problem of land disputes implementation of land registration system, awareness of illiterate masses, implementation of Islamic laws of inheritance in its letter and spirit, eradication of corruption from land administration department and efficient judicial system for the resolution of land disputes in Lower Dir are needed.