There is a chorus of Pakistani voices opposing Islamabad's latest plan to sell vast tracts of agricultural land to Saudi Arabia. Yet, the weak civil society next door may not prevail over the ties that bind the Pakistan's ruling elite to the House of Saud.

In the recent past, there had been reports that the military government led by Gen Pervez Musharraf was considering the sale or lease of land to the Chinese and Gulf investors. That policy appears to have acquired a new momentum.

Reuters news agency reported last week that Islamabad was in talks with Saudi Arabia for the lease of 500,000 acres of land. The report also said Islamabad would offer generous tax incentives for the Saudi investors to ensure the availability of water and offer security protection. The produce from these farms would, of course, be exported to Saudi Arabia.

From the perspective of Saudi Arabia, the land deal they are exploring with Pakistan is not the first or the only one. Amidst rapidly rising food and fuel prices, major food importing nations in the Gulf have been tying up farm deals in Africa and Latin America.

The Subcontinent, however, is not Africa and Latin America that are under populated and may have land to spare. Given the pressure on land in South Asia, it was inconceivable that one of our neighbours would sell it to foreigners.

The proposed land deal has drawn protests from across the civil society -- from I A Rehman, a leading human rights activist, to Dr Zafar Altaf, the head of Pakistan's Agricultural Research Council (PARC). But the leaders of Pakistan's two main parties -- the PPP and the PML -- seem to be eager to press ahead with the deal.

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