One million people likely to lose their homes in Karachi

Despite paying their dues, residents of 30,000 houses to be evicted

KARACHI: The future of one million people living on plots carved out via China-cutting hangs in the balance after the Supreme Court ordered the clearing of illegal constructions on amenity plots in Karachi.

Around 30,000 houses have been illegally built with the tacit approval of the government.

So far, the government has failed to come up with a strategy to deal with the situation. According to informed sources, in areas such as Baldia, Town, Korangi, Surjani Town, Khuda ki Basti, Banaras Colony, Ittehad Town, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Sohrab Goth, Ahsanabad, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Kunwari Colony, Pehlwan Goth, Scheme 33, Ibrahim Hyderi, Keamari and North Karachi, houses were built using China-cutting under government sponsorship

Sources have revealed that these houses were built under the supervision of the government and sold for between Rs200,000 and Rs1 million. The people were also given ownership rights of the houses.



According to the sources, a large number of goths had been built in the city under the names of different leaders of political parties and are populated by thousands of residents.

However, the residents are now facing immense difficulties and expressing concerns that regardless of how the land was acquired, they built their houses on the land after spending their hard earned money.

Homes are still being sold on slips in Surjani Town at an estimated cost of between Rs300,000 and Rs600,000.

Residential houses were demolished in Surjani Town's 4-L, spurring residents to launch a protest and block the road. The residents have claimed that they had bought these houses and could back up their claims with official documents. They decried the fact that their houses, which they had invested a great deal of money into, were being demolished.

Sources have said that according to an estimate, more than 30,000 homes have been built through China-cutting or under government supervision. If they were to be destroyed, as many as one million people will be affected.



The residents of these areas have urged the government to look into the issue and investigate who sold the land and on what basis the utility companies had provided them connections. The residents say they either want to be compensated monetarily or given alternative residences.