KARACHI, Jan 5: A large number of the residents of Rehmatia Colony and Prem Nagri, located in Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s 13D-II and III blocks, staged a demonstration at the Karachi Press Club against civic agencies for demolishing their homes without paying any compensation or providing alternative residences.

Addressing the protesters, their representatives said that city government officials visited their localities two days back and forced people, including women and children, out of their houses. They fired teargas shells and resorted to baton-charging, they alleged.

They said that all those living in the two localities were rendered homeless as their houses, along with an old temple, were demolished. “Hundreds of the residents, including women, children and the elderly people have been made to bear the harsh cold weather under the open sky,” they deplored.

They said that the survey of their houses had been carried out by the city government long ago, but the officials demolished the houses without paying any compensation. They claimed that the demolition squad members also took away their household items.

They said that the demolition had been carried out to make way for the Lyari Expressway project.

They demanded compensation to be paid to them immediately and urged the higher authorities to take stern action against those involved in the inhuman action.