Evicting the poor

Published August 1, 2015

THE Capital Development Authority (CDA) just bulldozed its own credibility by destroying a substantial portion of Afghan Basti, a katchi abadi in sector I-11 that is home to more than 8,000 people, most of whom are Pakistani citizens.

The action was heavy handed, involving armed police and paramilitary as well as heavy earth-moving machinery, which suggests the possible play of powerful vested interests in pushing the affair.

Currently, the debate is circling around the legality of the dwellings and the right of the residents to be on the land, considering it had been allotted to CDA employees as far back as 1990 but was never transferred.

Also read: Slum-dwellers clash with authorities over Islamabad anti-encroachment drive

Whatever side one takes in this debate, it cannot fail to be recognised that the action taken by the CDA was indefensibly heavy-handed, considering the residents were given three days’ notice to vacate and proper compensation and relocation plans were not made, which is a requirement under the law.

The episode highlights how the question of affordable housing for the poor has fallen by the wayside as a powerful consortium of interests including politicians, bureaucrats, property developers and even the military have taken charge of shaping Pakistan’s urban landscape.

Growing amounts of urban land is being eaten up by property developers and speculators, pushing the poor further and further towards the margins. The result is the mushrooming growth of katchi abadis, across Islamabad as well as the other cities.

The master plan for Islamabad — the development and implementation of which lies within the CDA’s mandate — contains very little to cater for the needs of the poor.

The allocation of the authority’s resources is also governed by misplaced priorities that favour large mega-projects such as roads, flyovers and interchanges over affordable, low-cost housing.

It cannot be denied that clean title of land should be a requirement before people take possession and build dwellings upon it, but it is equally important to note that not catering for low-cost and affordable housing for the poor creates the problem of squatter settlements.

The ballooning growth of katchi abadis certainly needs to be checked, but not through strong-arm means such as the ones employed in Afghan Basti on Thursday. It needs to be checked by adhering to a master plan that gives everyone a living space within the urban landscape.

Until that is done, the capital city would be well served without a repeat of Thursday’s action.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2015

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