Final answer:
The agricultural backwardness of Pakistan at independence was attributed to the displacement of small farmers for cash-crop plantations during British rule, famines, inadequate infrastructure, and political challenges stemming from the partition of the Indian subcontinent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The causes of agricultural backwardness faced by Pakistan at the time of independence included a variety of economic, social, and environmental factors. One major cause was the focus on cash-crop agriculture during British colonial rule, which resulted in small farmers being evicted from lands to make way for large cotton plantations. This led to a loss of food-producing land and subsequent famines that decimated the population. Even after independence, the newly created country faced challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, a rural-to-urban shift, and the vulnerability of farmers to yearly cycles of harvest and debt. The administrative boundaries drawn by the colonial powers and the subsequent partition of the Indian subcontinent also meant that Pakistan grappled with issues of resource allocation and political instability, further complicating its agriculture sector.