Moon Arcade’s residents blocked the streets in protest as teams from KElectric arrived to cut off the electric supply to their homes on Thursday.
KElectric’s teams and their police escort were met with resistance as residents and their families blocked the streets, refusing them passage.
“Why should we let them through?” asked one homemaker. “We pay thousands of rupees for electric bill every month – 16 thousand at a time. Why are they cutting our electricity then?”
The buildings, which were built on Railway lands, were ordered to be sealed by the Sindh High Court on Wednesday. An order to have the buildings evacuated within 24 hours was also issued. Despite court orders, only a few of the 180 apartments were successfully cleared.The short notice sent the residents into a state of panic and many took to the street to protest via a sit in as their relatives were sent to appeal the decision and ask for more time.
While the court has issued orders for the builder, Abdul Razaq Khamosh, to be presented before court, the orders for evacuation have caused serious problems for residents, many of whom spent their life savings to procure the apartments in the first place.
“The High Court hasn’t told you to kick down doors and upset ladies. It hasn’t told you to threaten us or for the Police Women to grab us by the hand and drag us out of our homes,” lamented one woman.
“We have children. How are we supposed to evacuate? Where do we go.”
