KARACHI: Demolition drive in Korangi goth restarts
By Qasim A. Moini
KARACHI, Oct 5: Bulldozers have returned to Gahi Fakir Goth, a katchi abadi located in Korangi’s industrial area. Residents allege that Korangi Town officials, accompanied by police mobiles, threatened to demolish the structures the people had starting rebuilding after an earlier demolition drive in late July, 2007.
When women and children blocked their way, the demolition squad withdrew. Yet in the days that followed, they carried out their threat of reducing to rubble a section of the goth adjacent to the road running from the Godown Roundabout to the Malir River bund.
This action was undertaken in spite of the fact that the case is currently in court, as the residents’ action committee has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court to regularize the settlement.
On July 25, the city government initiated a demolition campaign at the goth, justifying the action by claiming that it was part of an anti-encroachment drive to widen a road. Though the majority of structures were razed, the poor residents – many forced to live under an open sky – were largely left alone. However that, too, changed last Saturday.
“On the first day, when the demolition squad arrived with the bulldozers, our women and children got in their way and refused to budge. However the next day, they (officials accompanied by police) started a baton-charge and acted in an extremely rough manner with us,” claimed Saleem, a resident of Gahi Fakir Goth this reporter talked to.
But since the case is currently in court, does the city government’s renewed action against the goth constitute contempt of court?
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“It is not contempt of court because we do not have the status quo. Ethically, they (Korangi Town staff) should not have carried out the demolition,” said Abdul Fath, the lawyer representing the residents’ action committee. Giving the details of the case, he said a petition (1674/2007) has been filed in the Sindh High Court.
“We want the court to direct the city government and other relevant departments to regularize Gahi Fakir Goth. The residents have been lodging applications for regularisation from 1994 onwards with the board of revenue, provincial revenue minister, Sindh government and other relevant departments but have never received a response,” said the lawyer.
Saying that the case was in its initial stages, he said the police had already been called to court.
“However, the police officials claimed that they were called in to maintain law and order and have nothing more to do with the matter,” said Mr Fath.
When Korangi Town Nazim Arif Khan was contacted for his version of the events, he totally distanced himself from the operation.
“We have nothing to do with it, as I told you last time this sort of thing happened. It is not our concern, nor do I have any information about it,” he claimed.
Gahi Fakir Goth residents insist the demolition is being carried out at the behest of a well-connected industrialist, who apparently enjoys the patronage of a political party that is currently in power. They have also reiterated their demand that the government provide them alternative land and compensate them for their destroyed houses.
Divided they fall
But Yusuf Khattak, who is associated with an NGO and has closely worked with the residents ever since the first demolition drive was initiated, says that one of the things preventing the residents from successfully pleading their case is division within their ranks.
“Unfortunately, the residents are not united and lack the spirit to fight for their cause. If they had properly approached the government, I am sure they would have been provided alternative land,” he said.
Mr Khattak’s views were corroborated when Saleem was asked about the action committee’s efforts.
He hurled allegations of corruption against the head of the residents’ action committee and insisted he was in cahoots with the forces responsible for the demolition drive.
Again, many questions arise about the logic of these actions. Primarily, why are these settlements initially allowed to grow haphazardly by the powers that be? And when they get in the way of ‘development,’ is demolition and displacement without an alternative the most humane way to tackle the issue?
