HYDERABAD: Several hundred residents of colonies and settlements along Phulelli canal staged a sit-in on the Miran Mohammad Shah Road in front of the Sindh High Court building here on Wednesday in protest against demolition of their houses in an anti-encroachment drive ordered by the court.

After staging the sit-in, they held a protest demonstration outside the local press club also. Earlier, they marched from Hyder Chowk to the venue of the sit-in.

Local Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Zahid Bhurgari and Abdul Jabbar Khan, and union committee chairman Manthar Jatoi also joined in to express solidarity with the protesters.

The protesters condemned demolition of buffalo pens, houses, a poultry farm, religious seminary and commercial properties in a joint action by the irrigation department and civil administration. Members of the Christian community, among the protesters, carrying the Cross in their hands raised slogans against the demolition drive. They were led by Ghulam Qadir Leghari, Yousuf Masih, Saleem Masih, Hazoor Bux Magsi and others, residents of Islamia and Christian colonies, Khursheed Town, Ghumnabad, Mullah Ismail Goth, Arain Goth, Goth Lalu Lashari, Chaang Goth and other areas.

According to them, they have been living in these areas for around half a century and have documents under Goth Abad Scheme 1987.

Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saleem Rajput told Dawn that both the inspection and non-inspection paths of the canal were to be cleared of encroachment as per specifications mentioned by the irrigation authorities for which notices were issued to encroachers. He said the measure varies from 176ft to 300ft where demolition was required.

Ghulam Ali Talpur, director of the Left Bank Area Water Board of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida) which manages Akram Wah (lined channel) and Phulelli canal in terms of water distribution, informed that the demolition on the lined channel had been completed.

He said it had now started along Phulelli canal for which notices from his department and by the revenue authorities were also issued to the people who had encroached upon government’s land.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2018