It is not a new problem; it keeps happening time and again. People – most of them barely able to survive – set up their homes and shops only to see them demolished after some years by those who are supposed to protect their rights. Encroachments have become a recurring phenomenon in most big cities around the world, especially in developing countries. But the way the state responds to these structures varies from country to country. Ideally all states should consider it their primary responsibility to provide affordable housing to all citizens, and to arrange for their livelihood opportunities. In Pakistan, this has not been the case. The people who see the demolition of their houses and shops have nowhere to turn to. In Karachi, the past couple of years have seen unprecedented demolitions across the city and the authorities carry out these demolitions without first giving compensation to the families that lose their shelters or livelihoods. Be it various structures on storm-water drains such as on the Gujjar and Orangi Nullahs or encroachments on the railway land including the Karachi Circular Railways tracks, these do not appear overnight.
Most such structures have been existing for decades and the government agencies have even provided them with connections of utility services such as electricity, gas and water. Then there is the question of those who have been living in their huts or makeshift shelters for centuries. Suddenly they find themselves in the way of new developments that mostly private builders initiate without considering local people’s problems. Such anti-poor development employs highhanded tactics to evict the local dwellers and raze their homes to the ground. Such injustices are increasingly becoming common and the builders are now behaving as if they are a powerful mafia. At the heart of it all is the concept of land rights which are inviolable. The housing crisis that the country has been facing is likely to worsen in the coming years and decades as the population increases and the land available becomes scarce.
While these issues have been highlighted time and again, the authorities in the country seem to be oblivious of this problem. They give orders and carry out demolitions without first considering the dire impact such actions have on citizens that end up losing their homes and shops. Community organisers who work to protect housing and land rights deserve a patient hearing rather than dismissal at sight. The victims of these demolitions include children and women whose plight is indescribable. Now there is a need to formulate a comprehensive policy on encroachments and how to deal with this issue. Political parties appear to be apathetic in this matter. This issue must be raised in the national and provincial assemblies and proper legislation must be enacted to provide compensation to the victims.