Land grabbers protest when residents of Akhtar Colony try to stop them

The protesters blocked the main Korangi Road for three hours by parking trucks.

KARACHI: When Javed Iqbal rushed out of his house in Akhtar Colony on Saturday to join the protest against land grabbers, he met rather an unexpected sight.

The people who the residents held responsible for occupying their land had blocked the main Korangi Road.

“I think the area’s people will have to organise their own protest in couple of days,” said Akhtar pointing towards a makeshift bakra mandi. “Otherwise this menace of encroachment will destroy our lives.”

The road leading towards Korangi Industrial Area was blocked for around three hours as trucks were parked right in the middle of it by the protesters.

Sajid, a mechanic, said that he and other mechanics were tired of losing customers. “We tried to stop these men from building more cattle markets. They brought trucks and blocked the road to pressure us.”

All the streets leading to Akhtar and Kashmir colonies used to be lined by small workshops. But for the last three years the service road right across the Korangi Road is being used for dumping sand, parking trucks and cranes, and selling goat and sheep.

According to police and residents, the land grabbers are supported by a political party and former military men. “I have had enough of this trouble,” said Defence SHO Raja Mushtaq, as he helplessly tried to persuade the protesters to clear the road.

“We have filed applications to the court and I will get all these encroachments removed within three days,” claimed Mushtaq. “Everyone thinks we are involved. Why should we bear the brunt of what others do?”

All three civic organisations of the city, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Defense Housing Authority (DHA) and Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) refuse to own the area.

The vigilance director of DHA, Col. (retd) Muhammad Amjad, blamed the CBC for passing the buck to DHA. “Akhtar Colony does not come in my jurisdiction,” he said. “I can show you the map.”

However, he said that the matter must be settled immediately. “No one wants to get into this mess. But if we are given the authority, surely DHA will clear all the encroachments.”

But for people like Safdar Malik, who rented a wedding lawn on Korangi Road, time has already run out. “Business is all about reputation,” he said. “When the truck drivers are right outside the gate, staring at the women, consider the business shut,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd,  2012.