Pakistan: Cleanout On Islamabad Slums Will Dislocate Christians

Slum inhabitant of Islamabad live under poverty line, they do not have basic necessities of life like health, education, sanitation and shelter. They live in houses made of mud and clay, some of them are mixture of bricks and mud, and only 10 percent of them lives in houses made of cement and bricks. Many of the houses are made in a way they can be easily flooded with rain. Houses consist of a single room which fulfills the requirement of a bed room, kitchen and a dining room as well. The electricity supply is pitiable in the area, unavailability of purified water, open drainage system; clearly show that hygiene is maintained in the area at zero level.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) conducted a detailed survey in Islamabad to collect data of the slums and has decided to bulldoze minimum a dozen slums in Islamabad but did not point out any relocation plan or reparation for the helpless inhabitants. According to the sources on the direction of CDA chairman, notices had been issued to the slum dwellers of sectors G-7/1, G-7/2, G-7/3, G-8/1, F-7/4 and F-6 to vacate their houses. CDA has asked for assistance from IESCO, SNGPL and FIA to help it carry out a grand operation against the dwellers in Islamabad. Sources informed that the slum inhabitants who exist in the slums of G-7/1, G-7/2, G-7/3, G-8/1, H-11/4, F-7/4 and F-6 have been warned through public notices as the slums would be demolished between March 24 and April 30, 2014.

According to the notice, CDA would demolish all these structures and the inhabitants would be accountable for any sort of risk involved.

The left-wing community of Islamabad has announced this operation as an attack on the essential rights of thousands of working-class citizens who live in the capital’s slums. Nazir S Bhatti chief of Pakistan Christian Congress – PCC strongly condemned this action and determent to strongly resist of the CDA’s plan. He said that Christians are being marginalized because of ethnic prejudice. While CDA Estate member Shaista Sohail said that the civic agency had been directed by the ministry of center to clear the illicitly engaged lands from the slum inhabitants, particularly to lessen security risks.

Basharat Khokhar, human rights activist visited CDA senior management and was assured by the CDA officers to provide fail-safe security to Christian’s slum inhabitants of Islamabad. Amir Ahmad Ali – member admin assured that CDA is not going to bulldoze any Christian katchi abadi in the capital.

Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar has led the charge for a crackdown. He singled the katchi abadis out as potential militant asylum soon after his party, the Pakistan Muslim League – PML- N came to power last summer. It is relevant to cite here that most of the inhabitants in these slums are Christians who have lived in these slums in terrible situations for a long era. Shamim Masih – secretary information PCC said that the CDA has different policies for working class people living in the slums and those living in the superior sectors of the capital.

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