ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has criticised the demolition of kiosks in the capital.

Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI)’s Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) recently demolished several khokas in various parts of the city, including G-9 and Blue Area.

The action received condemnation from the HRCP on Twitter after they shared a Tweet about the demolitions and added: “Why must livelihoods - which determine the right to food, shelter, clean water, health education, human dignity - be trammeled (sic) beneath the feet of ‘anti-encroachment’ drives and the need to ensure that ‘public’ spaces remain as un-public as possible? (Rhetorical question).”

Earlier, Awami Workers Party’s Ammar Rashid said in a Tweet: “More khoka demolition in Islamabad. The shopkeepers were sobbing about how they’re going to manage the losses & feed their families. The govt and CDA are intent on snatching working people’s livelihood and destroying economic value in the name of ‘anti-encroachment’.”

During the last few days, the DMA demolished khokas after terming them illegal.

When contacted, DMA Director Zafar Iqbal said all khokas operating in Islamabad were illegal and recently the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also rejected a plea filed by their owners. However, he added, only a few illegal kiosks set up on greenbelts and footpaths were demolished.

On the direction of Interior Minister retired Brig Ijaz Shah, the CDA has been working on a model to set up kiosks in various parts of the city.

Last month, the CDA proposed 12 urban and seven rural locations for the model kiosks. The areas identified for such spaces included Park Road near Rawal Dam Bridge, Park Road opposite Shahzad Town, Taramari Chowk, Bhara Kahu Murree Road, Khanna Bridge, Chamber Road in Rawat, opposite Blue Area in G-7/1, near Iqbal Hall in G-7/3, Blue Area near the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in G-8/3, opposite Markaz in G-9/2, near the sewerage treatment plant in I-9/1, opposite Markaz in F-10/3 and opposite Markaz in F-11/2.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2019