Thousands of residents of Sector I-11 informal settlements faced off against dozens of armed police and bulldozers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and peacefully prevented them from launching a planned operation to demolish their homes on Monday.
On Monday morning, several truckloads of police personnel along with senior officials of the CDA and their bulldozers gathered along Faqir Aipee Road in Sector I-11, near an informal settlement of almost [20,000] working class citizens, often mistakenly referred to as “Afghan Basti”.
In anticipation, thousands of residents of the settlement, led and supported by activists of the Awami Workers Party, had already gathered with placards and banners near the main road and made speeches and shouted slogans vowing to resist any attempt by authorities to forcefully evict them. Women of the settlement formed a human chain in front of the homes, while children could be seen gathered on top of the houses closest to the main road.
The residents of the I-11 settlement were supported in solidarity by dozens of students and activists of the Awami Workers Party from other parts of Islamabad, including residents of other informal settlements in the city.
The police and the residents faced off against each other on either side of Faqir Aipee Road for several hours, however there were no clashes. Seeing the strength of the residents vowing to peacefully resist eviction, as well as the large presence of the media, the police and CDA bulldozers eventually backed down from their positions and left the area.
“This is a huge victory for the working-class of Islamabad who have been marginalized and mistreated for decades,” said Fazal Shah, leader of AWP’s I-11 unit, who works as a fruit seller in the nearby fruit and vegetable market. “Although the struggle is far from over, today’s events have proven that when the working masses unite and organize themselves, they can face against off any power. And all we are asking for is the right to live and work in peace in this city.”
AWP Punjab President Dr Aasim Sajjad Akhtar urged all sections of society to provide more support in the struggle of the residents. “We call on the Supreme Court of Pakistan to provide relief to Islamabad’s most marginalized community by ordering an end to the CDA’s eviction campaign.”
CDA launched its latest campaign to remove all informal settlements in the city on the orders of the Islamabad High Court. At least [35] residents of the I-11 settlement were randomly arrested by the police over the weekend and sent to Adiala Jail in preparation for the demolition drive.
