Ghousia Colony’s residents vow to never leave their homes

Prisons minister says residents have to move out of the area as part of jail security measures

KARACHI: Neither compensation. Nor plots. Nothing will make the residents of Ghousia Colony leave their houses and relocate.

"If there is a security threat, the jail should be relocated, not us," said Nusrat Ali, a man who lives in a two-storey house situated opposite the high walls of Karachi Central Jail on Aslam Shaheed Road.

Ali, who used to work at the Liaquat National Hospital, said they won't accept any proposals made by the government to shift them. "I have worked long hours and skipped meals to save money and build a house here," he said. "I will never leave it even if they pay me a lot of money or give me a new house. This is our area. If bulldozers come into this area, we will fight."

Two days ago, the residents came out on the street to protest against Prisons Minister Manzoor Wasan, who in an interview to a news channel had said that the area should be sealed off. "If these houses cannot be emptied then the two- and three-storey buildings will be reduced to the ground," said Wassan.

His statements have left the area's residents upset and angry as they said that living in the area was already difficult due to the prison. They complained that cellphones did not get network and vehicles, including ambulances, could not enter the area. Many claimed that for a while, business and property rates had also gone down.

An old resident of the area, Abdul Rehman, who is commonly known as Haji sahib, said that he had written letters to parliamentarians, the police and jail officials about these issues.

"A few months ago, Manzoor Wasan, said that the jail would be relocated near the Super Highway," he said. "Now he says we should be removed. What is this?"

Rehman added that he moved to the area as a child and now his grandchildren have their homes here too.

Sitting idle in his AC workshop, Muhammad Asif became very emotional and said that no work had been coming in because of the security precautions at the prisons.

He suggested that every resident could take up responsibility for their homes. "I can guarantee that my house would not be used for any militant activity," he said. "I won't rent out my house to anyone either. This way every resident can vow the same and there won't be any need to move us."

Asif added that they were not scared of any attack on the jail. He claimed that there was no place in the city which was safe so it was not so different.

On Sunday night, Muttahida Qaumi Movement's MNA Rasheed Godil visited the residents to calm their fears and said that if they were ordered to vacate the area, it would be dealt with according to the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2014.