Abdullah Malik
Islamabad: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) deplores the recent operation in which a low-income settlement in Islamabad was razed to the ground, leaving at least 75 poor families homeless. Such incidents reflect a cavalier approach to protecting the rights and welfare of vulnerable communities. It is likely that the rash of evictions that has occurred in the last two years – in many cases without adequate notice or compensation, and resettlement options – has encouraged local authorities to conduct such operations without considering the human cost the human rights watchdog issued a statement on Friday.
It should be noted here that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) this week conducted a massive anti-encroachment drive razed more than 75 huts in G-11/4 Kachi abadi which went viral on social media.
Pakistan Human rights minister Shireen Mazari reached Twitter and condemned the move adding that this is absolutely unacceptable – the razing of poor huts of 75 families in G 11/4 today. She added that I spoke to CDA chairman & Interior Minister and immediate inquiry has been ordered as to why this action was done apparently without sanction of CDA and Interior. She added that regarding the G11/4 inhumane razing of the huts earlier today, the CDA Chairman has assured me that shelter and compensation will both be provided with shelter being provided within a couple of hours.
Following human rights minister reaction on social media deputy commissioner (DC) Islamabad Muhammad Hamza Shafqat responded to Mazari that Inquiry has been marked and concerned official of enforcement suspended. They say it was a den of professional beggars however the inquiry will find out facts. We are arranging food and shelter for the people on site.
The HR watchdog mentioned that while the government has announced support to the construction sector, it is questionable whether these benefits will reach those who need those most – among them, the informal workers and daily wage laborers who make up the bulk of the population relegated to kachhi abadis. In this crisis, axing people’s right to shelter is reprehensible and belies the government’s earlier promises to provide affordable housing for the poor.
Its pertained to mentioned here that Supreme Court of Pakistan barred CDA from conducting operations in Kachi Abadies but the civic agency conducted anti-encroachment drive.
HRCP strongly urges the government to avoid trickle-down policies driven by big businesses and property developers. Its approach to managing the economic challenges wrought by the pandemic is only as good as its ability to protect the economic and social rights of the poorest and most vulnerable. We strongly urge the government to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable foremost in its efforts to manage the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
CDA between hell and heaven on Kachi Abadies
The top civic agency of the capital Islamabad is trapped between the hell and heaven while carrying the issue of the Kachi Abadies. According to the documents available with The Frontier Post round about 5 complaints has been registered on Prime Minister Citizen Portal regarding the surge in street crimes in G-11 area of the Kachi Abadies as this time more than 40 Kachi Abadies established on state land illegally and the civic agency have no miracle to tackle this issue.
According to a complaint registered by an overseas Pakistani on citizen portal mentioned that the Abadies are increasing day by day on illegal land due to which the ratio of crimes is increasing. The citizen added that in some streets robberies done even in day timing and the portal is the latest resort for him to razed these Kachiabadies illegally established on state land. More than 10 houses of different streets of the G-11/4 lodged complaints on citizen’s portal and mentioned that the Kachi abadies established on illegal land should be demolished because of the increasing crime.
A senior police official of the G-11 Police station endorsed that they have arrested culprits from Kachi abadies multiple times and there is no record who is coming and who is going and there are no proper registration of these people. An official of the civic agency told this scribe that we are trapped because the Prime Minister office directed to take strict action against those illegally encroached government land but when we initiated operation we were not only stopped as well inquiry was formed against and our colleagues were suspended. If we are accused in this why no action by those who directed this operation from Citizen portal.
