Slum growth: IHC wants more detailed report on katchi abadis

Court dissatisfied with current document; interior secretary doesn’t show up.

ISLAMABAD:

The capital has been witness to rampant growth and expansion of slums in the recent past. Dissatisfied with a report submitted by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the illegal growth of katchi abadis in the city, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the CDA administration member to submit a detailed report on February 7.

On January 28, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had summoned the interior secretary and the CDA Administration Member Amir Ali Ahmed, seeking details on the mushroom growth of slums. Ahmed appeared before the court hearing on Thursday and submitted a report.

However, the court was not was satisfied with it and asked him to submit a more comprehensive report in the next hearing. The court observed the manner in which katchi abadis emerge in the city and people manage to live there illegally.

Ahmed informed the court that the authority has started a survey of all slums in the city the population of slums would be evaluated after its completion.

“This is a serious issue as the rapid growth of katchi abadis is alarming and the top civic body has failed to plan anything in this regard,’’ observed the court.

The interior secretary was also summoned, but did not appear before the court. Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Fazalur Rehman informed the court that the secretary had not received a court notice.

The court directed him to appear on the next date of hearing.

The court had taken notice of a petition filed by Amin Khan, a native of Toi Khulla in South Waziristan, who had been living in a katchi abadi in sector G-11 for 40 years and is seeking a CNIC card.

The petitioner had contended that he had migrated to Islamabad with other tribesmen to escape blood feuds in his native land and had applied to the interior ministry for CNIC in February 2000, but was told to approach the authorities in his native land for help.

After this, the court sought complete details of the numerous katchi abadis and their expansion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2014.