It seems that while the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) anti-encroachment officials continue to knock down people’s homes and other structures standing on the banks of the city’s Gujjar and Orangi storm water drains, the residents are not even allowed to voice their protest.
The KMC’s Anti-Encroachment Department had resumed demolishing leased houses and commercial units surrounding Gujjar Nullah a few days ago. The municipal body has been tasked with widening the storm water drain to its original shape and width.
The KMC is also supposed to construct a 30-foot-wide road on both sides of the storm water drain, because of which many Katchi Abadis will have to be razed.
Gujjar Nullah is a natural drain of the city that starts from New Karachi and ends at the Chuna Depot in Haji Mureed Goth, from where it falls into the Lyari River. The original length of the nullah was 13 kilometres and width 210 feet.
The arrest
According to the announcement of the KMC and the office of the District Central deputy commissioner, an anti-encroachment operation near Block 19 of Federal B Area was to begin on Saturday at 7am. However, the demolition team of the anti-encroachment department turned up at around 10am.
Then the Awami Workers Party’s general secretary, Khurram Ali, along with scores of protesters, showed up in the area and asked the authorities to give the residents some time so they can fight their case legally.
During their discussion, Ali was taken into custody by the law enforcers present at the scene and taken to the Samanabad police station, where he was detained until evening.
SHO Waqar Qaiser said that Ali was detained on the orders of the relevant assistant commissioner for allegedly provoking the residents to resist the anti-encroachment operation and disrupting peace.
Ali remained in police custody as long as the KMC’s anti-encroachment officials carried out their operation. By the time he was released, several of the leased houses had been knocked down.
He pointed out that all the municipal body has done is mark the houses that are to be demolished. “There’s no legal notice. Nothing is in writing.”
He said that several legal procedures have been avoided in the demolition of leased Katchi Abadis on the banks of Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nullah, and sadly, no political party has been speaking up for them.
Ali said that before the demolition, the assistant commissioner of the area had been informed about the procedural errors, following which the assurance was made that the residents will be given ample time to get a stay order or fight their case in court.
He lamented that the people of the area are not literate enough to know about their legal rights, which is why the police made sure he was detained until 6pm, so that the KMC can easily demolish the houses.
He pointed out that not even an FIR was registered against him, because the purpose of his detention was only to discourage the protesters as well as harass them.
Ali said that on Sunday (today) the residents of the Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nullah areas will protest outside the Karachi Press Club. “We’ll make sure that the government realises the procedural errors they’re making in the demolition of the leased Katchi Abadis surrounding both the nullahs.”
He demanded that the government sit with the residents and find a solution. “At least don’t call them encroachers. They’re living on leased pieces of land.”
The Gulberg assistant commissioner, Tariq Hassan, and the deputy commissioner of the Central district, Bux Dharejo, could not be reached for comment despite making repeated attempts.
No help
Samuel Nazir, vice president of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s minority wing who also served as city councillor from 2001 to 2005, is a resident of Sadiq Nagar Tayyabad, which is a Katchi Abadi of the Christian community on the bank of Gujjar Nullah. On the other bank of the drain is Kausar Niazi Colony.
“The machines have reached Landi Kotal,” he said, adding that any morning they will have their leased houses razed in front of their eyes. He lamented that while the residents of North Nazimabad have already received their cheques, their fate continues to hang in the balance.
Nazir said that no political party has been supporting the people residing in the surroundings of Gujjar Nullah. “Some 2,000 houses will be demolished during the operation in just Kausar Niazi Colony.”
When asked about the protest, he said that their children are already facing court cases because of the earlier protests. “We’re poor people. We can’t afford lawyers and make rounds of courtrooms every other day. We don’t know what our fate will be. No one’s helping us.”
Lease cancelled
When the KMC’s senior director anti-encroachment, Bashir Siddiqui, was asked to comment on Ali’s arrest and the operation’s progress, he said that his job was to demolish the marked structures, while the district administration was managing the rest of the affairs of the operation.
He said that some 1,600 units have been demolished around Gujjar Nullah and 700 to 800 around Orangi Nullah. On a daily basis both the drains are being cleared of 300 units, he added.
He also said that a few of the houses are being demolished partially, while some are being completely razed to the ground. As for the construction of the road, the Frontier Works Organisation has already started its work at the Zero Point, he added.
Siddiqui said that the Supreme Court had cancelled the lease of all the houses surrounding the Gujjar Nullah back in 2019.
He said that the affected residents are being given three months’ rent by the Sindh government. Some 1,700 families have already received their cheques, he added.
