ISLAMABAD: Residents of the katchi abadi in H-9/2, Rimsha Colony, organised a protest demonstration on Sunday, asking the Supreme Court to issue a permanent injunction in favour of the residents of all katchi abadis.

The protest was held in anticipation of the next hearing of a case regarding katchi abadis filed by Awami Workers Party’s (AWP) Abid Hasan Minto, following the forced eviction of more than 25,000 people from the I-II katchi abadi in July 2015.

According to an AWP press release, AWP Islamabad General Secretary Nusrat Hussein told the protestors that the SC had instructed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) many times since last summer to initiate the documenting of all katchi abadi residents in Islamabad and to work out a plan for their permanent settlement.

However, the CDA is yet to honour the court’s instruction and has, in fact, violated the stay order issued by the SC on numerous occasions my mowing down homes in many katchi abadis, including in the Rimsha Colony.

He said that it has been clearly established during the ongoing SC case that all Pakistanis are constitutionally entitled to shelter and that the state is obligated to provide affordable shelter.

Local AWP leader Danial Masih said the CDA has relocated many people from G-12 to H-9/2 a few years ago. However, after the Rimsha Masih case, the civic body has been regularly harassing residents in the new colony.

He said residents of Rimsha Colony were willing to cooperate with the CDA to establish permanent homes at a location the latter provides but will not give up the right to housing entirely, especially now that the SC has acknowledged these rights are inalienable.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2016