A SENIOR federal minister recently remarked in the National Assembly that climate-related catastrophes are the consequences of our own actions, parti-cularly the massive land encroachments on waterways and riverbeds.

While his observation sounds timely, it does fail to acknowledge the realities faced by ordinary citizens in Pakistan’s urban centres, especially in Karachi.

The government apparently fails to recognise that land encroachment is rarely a matter in control of the common man. Land mafias and politically-backed builders seize private and public land to build housing schemes and colonies along natural waterways.

What has happened along the Super Highway, where thousands of acres were acquired in violation of law, and in Malir, where villagers report being forced off their land, clearly shows that these violations were not orchestrated by people; there were influential groups acting with impunity owing to their support system within the government.

All these are not examples of people ‘interfering’ with nature, but rather examples of governance failure to protect land from the influence of mafias and profiteers. It reflects the failure of state institutions whose role it is to regulate land use, enforce laws, and protect both public resources and private ownership.

Climate disasters do demand self-accountability, but accountability must begin with the authorities who permit, facilitate, or turn a blind eye to such encroachments. Without that, nature will continue to react — and it will always be the common people who will be paying the price for governance failures.

Bakhtawar Ahmed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025