Proposed housing society: Villagers cry foul
Malout residents fear they will lose homes if SCBA housing society is built
ISLAMABAD:
Residents of a village in the capital’s outskirts may soon by homeless as a notification issued by the deputy commissioner (DC) through the housing ministry last month may lead to the acquisition of about 4,500 kanals of village land for establishing the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Housing Society.
Mouzia Malout, a village near Bhara Kahu between Kuri and Simly Dam roads, falls under the jurisdiction of the capital administration.
Villagers claim almost 6,500 residents will be displaced to house 2,500 lawyers who will be offered accommodation at the proposed housing society.
The Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF), under the administrative control of Ministry of Housing and Works, got a letter issued from the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration to acquire property in the village to build accommodations for members of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
The notification, made under the provision of Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, was issued on September 19. Under the section, the government can acquire any land for public welfare and development projects.
According to the ICT Administration, the housing foundation seems least interested in the project after residents obtained a stay order but members of the bar continue to press the issue.
As per a letter available with The Express Tribune, the ICT Administration had asked the housing authority to submit some certificates but it has yet to provide the documents.
Residents also claim the Supreme Court of Pakistan had not issued a written order to set up the society at the site.
Disgruntled by the decision, locals have decided to protest for their rights. Talking to The Express Tribune, villager Naeem Shah said the notification is illegal as the government cannot hand over land to a private party. He shared that most of the people living in the area are daily wagers and cannot get bogged down in litigation.
“This is our ancestral land and it will be unjust to deprive us from our source of livelihood,” he remarked, adding that “we will keep protesting until the matter is resolved.”
He revealed that former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani had given approval for the land acquisition.
He further explained that the petition mentions Bhara Kahu, Simly Dam Road and Gulberg Town as sites for the project but does not include Malout.
When villagers approached the DC, he accepted that the land could not be acquired for a private party and said he had sent a letter to the housing society in this regard to explain the situation.
SCBA President Kamran Murtaza told The Express Tribune some land grabbers are trying to exploit the situation.
He said they recently met with villagers. “We explained that residential land, graveyards, mosques and immoveable property will be excluded from the acquisition. We have also told them that we will buy the land on market rates to which they agreed,” he remarked.
The government issued this notification on the directions of the Supreme Court, he said further, adding that “This is not a violation of section 4 as bar members are part of the public.”
Islamabad Assistant Commissioner Rabia Aurangzeb said the capital administration issued the notification on FGEHF’s request and applied section 4. She added that some letters were already written to the housing foundation asking them to provide certain documents but a response has yet to be received. “The housing foundation asked us to cooperate with the bar association but we declined the proposal as we are not entitled to entertain private parties,” she said. Aurangzeb also admitted that land can not be acquired for a private party such as the bar association under section 4.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2014.
Residents of a village in the capital’s outskirts may soon by homeless as a notification issued by the deputy commissioner (DC) through the housing ministry last month may lead to the acquisition of about 4,500 kanals of village land for establishing the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Housing Society.
Mouzia Malout, a village near Bhara Kahu between Kuri and Simly Dam roads, falls under the jurisdiction of the capital administration.
Villagers claim almost 6,500 residents will be displaced to house 2,500 lawyers who will be offered accommodation at the proposed housing society.
The Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF), under the administrative control of Ministry of Housing and Works, got a letter issued from the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration to acquire property in the village to build accommodations for members of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
The notification, made under the provision of Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, was issued on September 19. Under the section, the government can acquire any land for public welfare and development projects.
According to the ICT Administration, the housing foundation seems least interested in the project after residents obtained a stay order but members of the bar continue to press the issue.
As per a letter available with The Express Tribune, the ICT Administration had asked the housing authority to submit some certificates but it has yet to provide the documents.
Residents also claim the Supreme Court of Pakistan had not issued a written order to set up the society at the site.
Disgruntled by the decision, locals have decided to protest for their rights. Talking to The Express Tribune, villager Naeem Shah said the notification is illegal as the government cannot hand over land to a private party. He shared that most of the people living in the area are daily wagers and cannot get bogged down in litigation.
“This is our ancestral land and it will be unjust to deprive us from our source of livelihood,” he remarked, adding that “we will keep protesting until the matter is resolved.”
He revealed that former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani had given approval for the land acquisition.
He further explained that the petition mentions Bhara Kahu, Simly Dam Road and Gulberg Town as sites for the project but does not include Malout.
When villagers approached the DC, he accepted that the land could not be acquired for a private party and said he had sent a letter to the housing society in this regard to explain the situation.
SCBA President Kamran Murtaza told The Express Tribune some land grabbers are trying to exploit the situation.
He said they recently met with villagers. “We explained that residential land, graveyards, mosques and immoveable property will be excluded from the acquisition. We have also told them that we will buy the land on market rates to which they agreed,” he remarked.
The government issued this notification on the directions of the Supreme Court, he said further, adding that “This is not a violation of section 4 as bar members are part of the public.”
Islamabad Assistant Commissioner Rabia Aurangzeb said the capital administration issued the notification on FGEHF’s request and applied section 4. She added that some letters were already written to the housing foundation asking them to provide certain documents but a response has yet to be received. “The housing foundation asked us to cooperate with the bar association but we declined the proposal as we are not entitled to entertain private parties,” she said. Aurangzeb also admitted that land can not be acquired for a private party such as the bar association under section 4.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2014.