A blot on Islamabad the beautiful!

Islamabad : Despite the fact, Islamabad is considered to be one of the most planned cities of the world, and the city elders claim it to be one of the most beautiful and modern metropolises of the world, there remain some blots on the horizon of the federal capital which cannot be swept under the carpet.

‘Islamabad the beautiful’ has mushroom growth of colonies and housing societies which lack basic civic amenities like a proper sewage system, carpeted roads, supply of clean drinking water and gas.

Situated only a few kilometres from Zero Point are located Father Colony, Salvation Army Colony, Christian Colony, Chashma Town, Iqbal Town, Raja Nizamuddin Town which comprise an overall area of New Sohan and has registered voter count of over 4,000; where around 8-10 thousand families reside amid broken roads and sewage flowing on these roads is a picture of distress.

“It feels we are living in living in a jungle of people or a remote area of the southern Punjab, which we often listen about them due to lack of facilities there,” said UC 21 Chairman Malik Amir Hussain where these colonies are situated.

There are 83 denominations of Christian community and 13 mosques in the area.

Malik Naseer Kiani, a retired government servant living in the area had a different view of the situation. He questioned as why the city fathers, who claim to make Islamabad the clean and green city of the country, fail to understand that mushroom colonies like Father Colony, Salvation Army Colony, Christian Colony, Chashma Town, Iqbal Town, Raja Nizamuddin Town etc. do not sprout out of earth overnight; they were developed over a period of time and if they lack any proper clearance from the authority then why at first place the residents of these localities were allowed to build these homes.

“One should not get into the debate that these homes are built on land reserved for farm houses. Now the mistake has been committed and someone is responsible for their establishment and further growth. The question is about the welfare of the residents of these localities who are both Muslims and Christians. They are human beings first of all and every human being has a right to live honourably, said Kashif Bhatti, a member of Christian community who works in Islamabad.

Dr GR Chishti, a resident of the area and chairman of Universal Interfaith peace Mission, an organisation working for promotion of interfaith harmony put up a query as what the white in our national flag represents when the people of New Sohan, where a majority of families belonged to the minority community was living in such pathetic conditions in the capital of the country. “We are hopeful the promises made by prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan with UC Chairman Malik Amir and MCI Opposition leader Ali Awan will be realised in letter in spirit and very soon,” he added.

Ahmed Ali, a resident of the area, said that 90 per cent houses in Chashma Town were on rent as their owners live in Rawalpindi and other areas of Islamabad due to poor living conditions.

Sharing a light note with this scribe, Jibran Masih said that even in some instances people who were coming to the area for visiting a family with marriage proposals returned after finding the pathetic situation in the town.

No matter what steps are taken they should be taken urgently because the residents of the area are adamant and want to convey to the incoming government that they can understand Imran Khan to be going to vacate the seat from this constituency of NA-53, but in the by-election someone else from his party will contest the election so they at-least want an effort on part of the PTI leadership and local UC chairman that funds for this drainage system are released in next couple of months so that they can at-least heave a sigh of relief that their problems are going to be addressed.

Irrespective of their political affiliations or whether the people living in the area are from minorities or Muslims; they are human beings and they deserve better than this!