Illegal abode: Court dismisses slum dwellers plea

IHC observes that CDA is right platform as court itself had directed the authority to remove illegal katchi abadis.

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad High Court Monday dismissed a petition by slum dwellers against their impending removal by the civic agency.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui rejected the petition filed by over 20 residents of the Afghan Basti located in Sector I-11 who are seeking the court’s direction against the expected operation by Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The court observed that CDA is the right platform as the court itself had directed the authority to remove illegal katchi abadis.

The civic agency postponed the operation for an indefinite period on the direction of the interior ministry last week. On March 24, it was supposed to start the operation.

Amin Khan and 20 other petitioners through their counsel maintained that they were living there for the last 20 years and that they are poor.  Advocate Mirza Shahzad Akbar said that CDA operation is a violation of the National Housing Policy, 2001.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2014.