Moral greys: The mortal cost of enforcing the law

Slum dwellers refuse to vacate land, government determined to move them.

RAWALPINDI: Sajida paid a heavy price for attempting to stop the baton-charging police from demolishing her dwellings. The 12-year-old girl from slums in Dhok Ali Akbar received a nasty blow from a cop’s baton that broke her leg.

The others paid an even heftier price.

Chilly December nights have taken the lives of four minors including the 50-day-old son of Sodagar Hussain ever since police allegedly removed the dwellings of people living in slums. These low-income families have been living under the open sky since November 28 because they were illegally occupying the Auqaf land.

“When they came charging in, I tried to stop the police personnel from removing my tent but they did not stop and broke my leg to get me out of their way,” said Sajida with a bandage on her leg.

Since then, she has witnessed at least four deaths in her neighbourhood. They were all minor children whose families, like Sajida’s, were forced to live in the open.

First, five-year-old Ali Hussain died. His father Khadim Hussain said his son contracted pneumonia and died after spending at least two cold December nights without shelter. The next day, Khadim Hussain’s brother Muhammad Rafea lost both of his children to cold.

His daughters, the six-year-old Bano and one-year old Firdous were the next victims. The families of all the children who died were occupants of the 20-25 make-shift tents which were allegedly demolished by the police and officials of Auqaf department.

“They (police) had been demolishing it again and again, but every time we would rebuild our tents. This time we did not have the money to rebuild, so we are forced to live in this cold,” said a resident of the slums, Muhammad Aslam.

Aslam was sitting in front of the rubble of his demolished shelter, trying to keep himself, his wife and five of his brother’s children warm with a bonfire.

“The nights were extremely cold and we have to survive under the dew. The bonfire does not keep burning for too long,” said Aslam.

The residents of the slums said that they had been living on this piece of land for over three decades. They said it was difficult for them to understand why they had suddenly become a nuisance for the people who wanted to uproot them.

“The people of this area say that the slums and their residents are smelly. They also accuse us of being robbers, thieves and encroachers. We ask why the authorities are not taking any action against these people because the land they are occupying also belongs to the Auqaf department,” said Shahbaz, an apparently well-informed resident of the slum.

Over 400 families were living in makeshift tents on the controversial piece of land (22 kanals). Some had even raised mud houses. A major portion of this land, which was occupied by gypsies, was targeted by the authorities.

“The other 22 kanals also belong to Auqaf and are illegally occupied by people. Why did they remain untouched,” asked Aslam. He said that they had requested the authorities to let them spend the winters there before relocating during summers. “They did not allow us to do this, and consequently, our children have died and more have fallen ill,” Aslam added.

However, the Member National Assembly (MNA) of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from the area, Hanif Abbassi, maintained that the gypsies were illegal occupants of the government land where a hospital and a police station were planned.

“Nobody baton-charged them. They were asked to remove their tents themselves. Some 14-15 families demolished their tents voluntarily and the police returned from the place without even touching any of the dwellers,” claimed Abbassi while talking to The Express Tribune.

He further claimed that these gypsies were being supported by a land-mafia against whom an FIR had been registered. “The two children who died were already suffering from measles,” said the MNA.

He said an inquiry had been ordered into the claims of the gypsy families. “Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty of beating them,” he added.

Abbassi was asked, “What if these people refuse to vacate the land and continue to stay there under the open sky?”

He said, “They will have to vacate the government’s land at any rate.”

Even if more children die?

“They have to leave the place as they are illegally occupying it,” he responded.

The slum people were given a deadline of Sunday afternoon to vacate the place after which their dwellings would be razed to the ground.
The dwellers had vowed to resist any use of force to remove them.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2010.