Fallout: Afghan Basti to be removed in phases

City managers decide to demolish empty houses; set up pickets in and around the I-11 slum.

ISLAMABAD:

In the aftermath of the Sabzi Mandi blast, which once again shone a spotlight on the city’s biggest illegal settlement, the capital’s city managers held a meeting on Friday to evolve a strategy to remove the slum in phases.

Afghan Basti is located a few yards from the site of the blast. According to an unconfirmed estimate, some seven persons out of 25 killed in the blast belonged to Afghan Basti.

The meeting held at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Headquarters was chaired by the civic agency’s chairman. It was attended by CDA board members, chief and deputy commissioners of Islamabad and officers of the Islamabad Police.

“The I-11 settlement was the focus of attention during the meeting, as the nature of encroachments there is different from other katchi abadis. This land was allotted to people who paid for it, but it has been encroached, said an official, who attended the meeting.

“Initially, it has been decided that CDA and the police will establish separate security and surveillance pickets in and around the settlement.” CDA will set up surveillance pickets to curtail the slum’s expansion.

“It’s a big task but it can be tackled systematically,” stated the official. The settlement was removed in phases in 2005. Setting up pickets is the first step towards removing the settlement, he added.

“Following the Islamabad High Court’s order and CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) administration’s move to initiate an eviction drive, some people living in rented accommodation in the settlement have started shifting to other areas, especially after Wednesday’s blast.” Empty houses will be demolished at the earliest, so that homeowners cannot rent them out, he added.

The CDA official said there was an attempt to develop consensus to resolve the issue through collective efforts by the ICT administration, CDA and the Islamabad Police.

According to the CDA spokesperson, “The participants emphasised the need to formulate a consistent, sustainable and practical strategy.” The Islamabad High Court and the federal government’s decisions will be implemented through concrete actions, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2014.