Makeshift homes flattened in eviction drive

Affected residents stage protest, set tyres and wooden planks on fire on Murree Road

RAWALPINDI:

In a major anti-encroachment drive, the Rawalpindi Division of Pakistan Railways, with the help of local police, demolished all makeshift shelters around the Murree Hassan Railway Bridge on Friday. Belongings of the slum dwellers were thrown out, and their mud and wooden houses were bulldozed.

Divisional Superintendent Railways, Nooruddin Dawar, said that the operation was carried out under the directives of Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi, who ordered the removal of all 43 slums constructed on railway land. "This is railway-owned land, and no settlements can be allowed here," he maintained.

The affected residents staged a strong protest against the demolition. Women and children raised slogans against the railway officials and the federal minister.

One of the residents, Maasi Zubaida, said, "We've been living here for 15 to 20 years. Our shelters were temporary; we didn't build concrete homes to illegally occupy the land. Those who did build permanent houses on railway land were spared. Let the minister demolish our homes today — when he comes to ask for votes, we'll respond then. We weren't even given time to collect our belongings; our valuables were destroyed, and we had to rush our sleeping children out."

The protesters held a sit-in for two hours. Later, women and men from the slums moved towards Murree Road and Mareer Chowk, where they set tyres and wooden planks on fire, blocking traffic. Thick clouds of smoke engulfed the area. Rescue 1122 teams arrived to extinguish the fires. Women continued chanting slogans, leading to a complete traffic shutdown in the area until police dispersed the protesters.

Railways Deputy Superintendent Nooruddin Dawar said that the anti-encroachment staff, along with railways police, launched the operation to reclaim railway land. "This operation is being conducted to uphold the rule of law, improve the railway system, and serve public interest," he said.

The wooden houses adjacent to the Murree Railway Bridge were demolished, and the slums that had existed for years were cleared, he further said, and warned that any attempt to rebuild the slums would result in another demolition.

The operation would continue across the Rawalpindi Division until all encroached railway land is recovered, Dawar added.