Pakistan

Ongoing operation : I-11 slum next in CDA’s crosshairs

Authority directs residents to vacate slums by July 31.

Online July 26, 2015

The ‘Afghan Basti’ in Sector I-11. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has given katchi abadi dwellers of Sector I-11 till July 31 to vacate the slum as part of its ongoing operation against illegal settlements in the city.

A source in the CDA said in light of directives of the Islamabad High Court, the civic agency in conjunction with police and rangers has initiated operations against illegal slums, including the one in I-11.

According to the source, close to 1,300 illegal settlements exist in the slum, all of which will be demolished after the deadline.

Meanwhile, residents of the I-11 slum have said they will live in makeshift tents at the same location even after their structures are razed by the authorities.

Residents accused the civic agency of being selective in its operation, avoiding influential encroachers and targeting destitute slum dwellers instead. They also alleged the CDA of showing leniency to individuals carrying out commercial activities in residential areas.

“We migrated here from Swat when the war on terror began there. Almost 95 per cent of the population residing here is Pakistani, while only 5 per cent are Afghan,” said Akhtar Ali, a resident of the I-11 slum.

He said it was the responsibility of the government to provide shelter to people who have left their property in their native lands for the sake of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (1)

Knight Khan | 9 years ago | Reply Most of the people are claiming the operation to be justified.This might have been true provided if the corrupt CDA & government officials have refused any sort of bribe & so that these localities were not materialized in the first place 30 or 40 years back. Now at least before demolition operation these people should have been accommodated as many of them are daily wagers at local fruit market, earning legally for their families. I'm surprised to hear that some media groups are claiming that a bhatta khor & some raw agents have been apprehended. My inquiry is if this is true then why is the police station which is heart of the market is being built ??? If this is true that these slums have diminished the beauty of Islamabad, then why in the earth people are not looking at the violations of the green belts, where illegal restaurants have been built. Why not apprehend former PML (N) MPA whose "SkyScraper" in E-11 had blown CDA rules & regulations to smithereens.This shows the shear ignorance of our people & their cheap mind set. These poor people have to justify that they are Pakistani but who cares. In Pakistan, you are a proven criminal if 1.One you are not influential, 2. No other influential person at your back, 3. Civil society & Amnesty International are not shouting & staging protest for you, & worst of all 4. If you are Pashto speaking then you will be la belled "Your name ends with Khan you are a terrorist.. I'm sick of Pakistani nation's superficial thinking & stereotyping of my people. And as for Afghans, if we complaining them to be aliens now, then why in the first place we were having military adventures in a sovereign nation back in late 70's ??? Back then we were supporting our so called Muslim brethren from Red Evil & they migrated as consequence as their country was left to be war torn for indefinite future. Plus if back in 47, people have migrated due to instabilities in sub continent, then why criticize 70's Afghan migration, after their two generations have been living in Pakistan, when even the constitution grants the right to every Muslim without cast or creed ??? We don't need RAW or Mossad to create terrorist utopias here, as we are self sufficient in this technology. By displacing people without accommodating them, mocking & stereotyping specific ethnic groups, ignoring tribal areas for past 60 years, exploiting Baloch youth from jobs & education, we expect much from hollow slogan of 'Pakistan Zindabad'.

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