SWAT: The teachers of Government Postgraduate Girls College Saidu Sharif said that they were forcibly evicted from their legally allotted houses in College Colony.

Prof Bakht Tasleem and Prof Rozina, the teachers of the college, told this scribe that on Saturday evening officials of the district administration and police ordered them to vacate the houses.

They said that they were forcibly evicted from the houses during the night.

The members of civil society showed concerns over the eviction of teachers and their families from the houses.

Civil society shows concerns over action of Swat admin

They said that there were irregularities in allotment of the houses and many people were living in the houses illegally but the district administration seemed helpless to evict them.

College Colony is a residential complex in Saidu Sharif that was constructed during the former Swat state for the staff of Government Postgraduate Jahanzeb College.

However, after the merger of Swat state in Pakistan, majority of the houses were allotted to other officials.

“Since I don’t have my own house, the house in the colony was allotted to me where I lived with my family.

The rent of the house was regularly deducted from my salary but on Saturday night officials of the district administration and police forcibly evicted us,” said Prof Bakht Tasleem.

She said that she had a physically challenged son and six daughters. She added that she and her family took shelter in a one room house when they were expelled.

Prof Rozina also told Dawn that the district administration forcibly evicted her family from the house, which was legally allotted to her. “My husband is a teacher in Government Postgraduate Jahanzeb College and I teach in the Girls College but ironically the district administration evicted us from the house at midnight,” she said. She added that the house rent was deducted from her husband’s salary.

“The district administration must take action against those, who reside illegally in the houses, instead of helpless female college teachers,” said Saeed Khan a resident of Saidu Sharif.

Assistant Commissioner Shauzab Abbas, when contacted, said that notices were issued to those people, who had their own houses but were living in College Colony.

He said that they were evicted on the orders of high court. He said that if it was proved that both the female teachers did not have their own house, then those houses would be given back to them.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2021