KARACHI: The dwellers of more than 403 katchi abadis (urban slums) do not have lease rights and the basic facilities such as the provision of potable water, electricity and other utilities in Sindh since past two decades, Pakistan Today has learned.
The Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority has no proper data of the slums that were established after 1985 in the whole province despite the fact that ‘katchi abadis’ were termed as sources of crime and terror in the Apex committee meeting held on April 17, 2015 attended by former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, Corps Commander Karachi, Rangers DG and other provincial ministers that emphasized on the earliest regularization of the katchi abadis.
“The Sindh Katchi Abadis Act, 1987 allows the Katchi Abadis Authority to regularize and work for the notification and de-notification of katchi abadis that were established prior to year 1985. While those came into existence after 1985 do not fall within the jurisdiction of Sindh Katchi Abadis Act,” an officer who wished not to be named said.
The Sindh Assembly has also passed the bill to bring in more than 2,000 katchi abadis in the province which were established after 1985, however, sources said that many katchi abadis in the province are still under the process of being regularized.
The breakup of statistics showed there are 564 katchi abadis in Karachi were created after 1985, 403 are under the regularization process.
In Mirpurkhas, there are a total of 141 katchi abadis (92 regularized) scattered on 1,853 acres land. These abadis have 0.025 million housing units with 0.167 million population.
While in Sukkur, there are a total of 175 katchi abadis (118 regularized) scattered on 2,376 acres land. These abadis have 0.035 million housing units with 0.118 million population. And, there are some 112 katchi abadis in district Larkana (66 regularized) spread over 1,820 acres land. These katchi abadis have 0.019 million housing units with 0.141 million population.
Pakistan Today repeatedly tried to contact Sindh Minister for Katchi Abadis Ghulam Murtaza Baloch to seek his official version however the scribe was told that the minister was busy in meetings at Bilawal House till filing of the report.