Sindh's political parties stand against Pakistan Quarters' eviction orders

Leaders form APC to resist decision

KARACHI: Leaders of different political parties have extended their support to the retired employees and relatives of deceased employees who are being evicted from federal residential colonies where they have lived since long. They suggested that the federal government, instead of removing these people from their homes, should pass a law to propose a solution to this problem in Parliament.

These leaders addressed an all parties conference (APC), titled, ‘Forced eviction of retired government employees and widows - A serious tragedy’, at Pakistan Quarter Garden West. The conference was organised by the united government resident committee and attended by a large number of retired government employees, late employees’ widows and their families.



It was addressed by Muttahida Quami Movement - Pakistan’s Farooq Sattar, Aminul Haq, Iqbal, Zahid Mansoori, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi General Secretary Mehmood Moulvi, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s Jamal Siddiqui, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, JI leader Saiful Din and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Shehzad Natha, and others.

The political leaders claimed several families are living in these quarters and they would not have anywhere to go if they are evicted. They urged the federal government to apprise the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) in detail so that the matter can be dealt with in urgency and resolved in accordance with the law.

These leaders appealed to the CJP to view the case on humanitarian grounds and issue orders to the Estate Office to prevent the forced eviction of these families. They agreed to extend all possible support to resolve their issues.

Mehmood Moulvi of PTI assured that the federal government was examining the matter and expressed hope to have this matter resolved.

The committee’s representatives said that thousands of families are residing in Garden, Pakistan Quarters, Martin Quarters, Jail Quarters, Federal Capital Area and other federal residential colonies. They said that the Estate Office officials did not apprise the Supreme Court (SC) of the real situation. They said that they respected the court’s decision and highlighted that evicting the residents and then housing them was a big issue.



The leaders present in the APC demanded that the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan call a meeting of the federal cabinet immediately and instead of evicting the residents, make a law to resolve the housing problem. If not a law, a strategy should be devised and the SC must be informed about it.

They also appealed to the CJP to review the decision that was originally passed.

The leaders alleged that after the court’s verdict, the Estate Office harassed the residents of these colonies. The residents claimed that their ancestors had given sacrifices for Pakistan and they were the children of the founders of Pakistan. They added that they were not occupiers since they were regularly paying rent.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2018.