Christians seek compensation for houses

PDA demolished 21 houses to make way for a project on City Circular Road.

PESHAWAR: Members of the Christian community living in Lahori Gate locality have demanded compensation for their demolished houses before the notification date issued to them on Thursday.

The Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) demolished 21 houses on Tuesday, to clear hurdles in the way for a project on City Circular Road.

Sharif Masih, an elderly clerk at the district court, told The Express Tribune that though the civic authorities had issued notices to them, they did not wait and started demolishing their houses sooner than was stated on the notices.

“We were not even given enough time to remove valuables from our homes,” the clerk said.

“We have been left shelterless and the government is doing nothing to help us. Who is going to protect the rights of minorities?” Sharif asked.

He said that he had to rent a house in the Gharibabad area of the city for Rs7, 000 rent a month. “I cannot afford this. To add salt to our injuries, the government has taken the rubble from where our houses once stood and used it for their own construction purposes,” he said.

A government official stated that the families have been given land in another area where they could begin constructing their homes.

Shakeel Masih, another resident of the area, said that finding accommodation has been very difficult. “The rents are high and estate agents are cashing in on our situation. We are currently staying with other family members but have not been able to find a house,” he said.

Khurram Masih, another resident of the area, said they were unable to save their television set, washing machine among other electronic things that cost them a lot of money. “I had saved money for months to get all these things. The government should compensate me for all of these things as well,” he said.

He added that the police had arrested some members of their community for protesting against the demolishing and they were still in the custody, “How else are we going to get our voices heard?”

However, a former minority lady councilor, Abida Tabbassum, said that government had approved a fund of over Rs3 million for these uprooted families.

She said that the houses had been damaged after the statements made by former Peshawar district Nazim, Senator Ghulam Ali, criticizing the government for the delay in the construction of the City Circular Road which is why the government  demolished the houses before the given date on the notices.

She said that some of the people had rented houses on an emergency basis and the rest had been put up with relatives till their homes were rebuilt.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2010.