The Awami Workers Party called for an immediate halt to the ongoing eviction drive of the CDA in Islamabad, an immediate resettlement of all the former residents of the demolished I-11 katchi abadi and demanded that those who carried out the violent, brutal and unlawful operation in I-11 be brought to justice.
These demands were made at a press conference organised by the AWP at the Islamabad Press Club, which was presided over by AWP President and senior Advocate Abid Hassan Minto and also featured AWP Sindh General Secretary Bakhshal Thalho, AWP Islamabad Information Secretary Ammar Rashid and Alia Amir Ali of the National Students Federation.
The press conference was attended by a large number of AWP party workers and other progressives, all of whom were wearing black armbands in protest against the operation. Speaking on the occasion, Abid Hassan Minto said that the AWP had already moved the Supreme Court against the I-11 operation, in a petition that included AWP leaders and katchi abadi residents among the petitioners. He said that the petitioners would be seeking an immediate halt to the operation against katchi abadis, as well as compensation and resettlement for the evicted residents, justice for those whose rights had been usurped, as well as an acknowledgement of the responsibility of the state to provide and protect basic shelter and other amenities to all its citizens, as specified in the constitution. Abid Hassan Minto further said that the manner in which the operation was carried out constituted a fundamental violation of the residents’ inviolable right to life, housing and privacy, and could not be justified under any legal pretext. He said that by evicting the katchi abadi residents in this manner, the authorities had effectively penalized the working poor for being homeless, which constituted nothing less than a crime on the part of the state.
Addressing the press, AWP Sindh secretary Bakhshal Thalho said that the CDA’s action in I-11 had resulted in protests by the AWP in different parts of the country. He said that the brutal operation was a vivid illustration of the kind of brutality that the state had employed for decades in different provinces of the country and was now carrying out in the Capital itself. He said that the AWP would not rest until justice and rightful compensation was provided to those who had been violently displaced. He further said that the AWP would continue the struggle for the basic rights of the urban poor for shelter and other basic amenities would be continued across the country.
CDA COMPLETES DEMOLISHING:
In the meanwhile, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has completed the demolishing operation of illegal slums in Sector I-11 on Sunday.
The four day operation against the illegal slums has been carried out by the Enforcement Directorate of CDA supported by Islamabad City Administration, Police and Rangers as well as other wings of the Authority. Heavy machinery was used to demolish the illegal structures in sector I-11/1 and I-11/4. On the last day of the operation, the remaining dwellers of the slums voluntarily evacuated their luggage from the slums which were later demolished. They did this in large part because they had nowhere else to go to.
The CDA chairman has directed the Engineering Wing of the Authority to come up with a comprehensive plan for expeditious development of the area whereas the Planning & Estate Management has been directed to formulate a strategy for handing over of the plots to the original allottees of the sector. The chairman said that removal of this major slum would also help facilitate CDA for action against other encroachments and illegal slums in the city as well as to expedite the process of development of the residential sectors.
The machinery is carrying on landscaping and levelling of the area. All the formations of the authority have been directed to collaborate and coordinate their efforts for early development of the area.
The chairman CDA appreciated the role of ICT administration, police and other allied agencies for making this operation a success and reiterated that CDA would continue operation against all the illegal slums and encroachments across the capital city. He said that effective monitoring of the land being evacuated from adverse possession would be ensured as well as fencing of the CDA land is in progress not only in this sector but also in other areas of the city.