TOBA TEK SINGH: Over-a-year-long struggle of the residents of Faiz Colony, Gobindpura, Muhammadpura, Sitara Colony, Siddiq Park, Mustafabad and Ittehad park has paid off, as a mother and child healthcare centre (MCHC) was restored in a 10-marla house in Gobindpura.

This house was owned by the federal Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) but it was being used by the staff of Crimes Investigation Agency police. In 2007 due to its dilapidated condition, the building was vacated by police, but a constable had started using it as his residence.

Residents of localities adjacent to the house had submitted applications to the authorities and asked them to set up a MCHC there as it had been vacated now.

In 2013, on the directions of the district coordination officer (DCO), the health department had shifted its MCHC to the house where a lady health visitor, a midwife and other staff was appointed after locals had the building repaired on their own with Rs600,000. The centre functioned here for over two years but in July 2015, police officials again occupied it and the centre staff was forced to leave.

On behalf of the locals, Hussain Ahmad had filed a petition before the Lahore High Court in which he challenged police’s occupation of the building. Judge Ayesha A Malik had directed the DCO on Sept 15, 2016 to hear all parties and decide the application within 30 days with a compliance report to the court.

But on Nov 10, disappointed after visiting the DCO’s office repeatedly without any relief, the petitioner tried to self-immolate at Shahbaz Chowk, but was stopped by police. Taking action on media reports of the incident, the chief minister had directed the DCO to restore the MCHC.

A few days ago, DCO Amer Ijaz Akbar, District Health Officer Dr Muhammad Khalid and Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Shafiq had inaugurated the restored centre.

While talking to Dawn, Ahmad claimed that some policemen still had their eyes on this million-rupee property so the DCO should write to the ETPB chairman and ask him to permanently transfer ownership of the plot to the MCHC to secure its grabbing. He also demanded return of the bricks, electric water pump and other valuables worth more than Rs100,000 allegedly seized by police when they had reoccupied it.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2017