Activists stage hunger strike for affectees of Karachi's anti-encroachment operation

Participants gathered outside the Karachi Press Club to protest


Our Correspondent January 14, 2019
PHOTO: TWITTER/ FAWAD HAZAN

KARACHI: Human rights, labour rights and civil society activists, independent economists and researchers staged a token hunger strike on Sunday in front of the Karachi Press Club to protest and express sodality with those whose livelihoods have been destroyed during the recent anti-encroachment drive being conducted on the orders of the Supreme Court.

The participants of the hunger strike included senior architect and urban planner Arif Hasan, veteran economist and a former Adviser to Chief Ministers of Sindh and Balochistan Dr Kaiser Bengali, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Faculty of Social Sciences Dean Dr Riaz Shaikh, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Chief Executive Karamat Ali, Urban Resource Centre Director Zahid Farooq, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Vice Chairperson Uzma Noorani, human rights activists Dr Haroon Ahmed, Naghma Shaikh, Rafia Gulani and others.

Dr Bengali said that the present state was anti-poor and unless the poor fought for their rights, they would not get them. He said that due to the neo-liberal economic policies, the poor were suffering and wealthy were flourishing.

Speaking on the occasion, Hasan said that the unplanned anti-encroachment operation has rendered hundreds and thousands of workers jobless and the government has no plan to provide any relief to these people. He said the affected people must be provided alternative employment opportunities and shelters. He suggested that people should be consulted in this regard.

Hasan also said that the poor were not provided shelters so Katchi Abadis emerged, when there were no bus terminals, bus stops emerged in the middle of the roads, similarly when market places weren't planned, hawkers set up shop on roadsides.

Dr Shaikh predicted that the unemployment rate will further increase because of this anti-encroachment drive. "People are facing difficulties in finding alternative livelihood opportunities because their businesses are destroyed."

Ali of PILER said that every citizen of Pakistan has the right to live a decent life. "The Supreme Court's order to demolish shops was against the fundamental rights of people. Many shop owners had legal papers, yet their shops were demolished."

He said, "We don't support encroachments but they shouldn't have been destroyed in such a way that millions of people lost their business and shelters." He appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to reverse his decision and stop the operation all over the country, and instead consult with the affectees and come up with a plan for the systematic removal of encroachments.

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Dr Ahmed said that the Supreme Court should regularise the properties in Karachi in the same pattern as Islamabad properties.
Human rights activist Naghma Iqtidar, who was one of the organisers of the hunger strike, said that hundreds of shops have been demolished and most of the affectees were poor. She said that thousands of workers have been rendered unemployed. The civil society struggle, under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC), would continue and future course of action will be announced this week after a meeting. JAC would also approach political parties to seek their support.

Noorani of HRCP said that the human rights activists were with the affected people. She said it was a grave violation of human rights that the Supreme Court was not providing relief to people while ordering removal.

Researcher Iffat Ara said that the economic activities have suffered a lot due to the anti-encroachment drive.

Jibran Nasir, a political and social activist, demanded the Supreme Court to constitute an independent commission to look into the matter on humanitarian grounds and provide compensation to the affected people. "We don't have confidence on this government as its decisions are seldom implemented," he added.

Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) asked the workers to unite and launch a unified movement for their rights. Farooq said that during the operation, about 10,000 shops have been demolished. He said the affectees of Karachi Circular Railway should also be provided alternative residences and compensation amount. Affected people should be included in the decisions.

COMMENTS (1)

Hamid | 5 years ago | Reply Are these activists in favor of individuals illegally claiming public land as thier own?
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