SUKKUR: Occupants of residential units, offices and shops of the Apwa Complex in the city on Tuesday strongly objected to the eviction notices served to them. They vowed to take to the street in protest against this uncalled for move.

The property, located along Minara Road, is owned and managed by the All Pakistan Women’s Association (Apwa). Its administration had served eviction notices to the occupants of more than 100 residential and about 50 commercial units in the complex through a law firm on March 9, 2025. They were asked to move out of the property within 30 days after receiving the notice.

However, the respondent families appeared not ready to vacate their respective premises arguing that they had been living in these flats for decades and had been paying rent, maintenance and utility bills regularly. Also, they say, the Apwa administration had collected millions of rupees from them on account of security deposit or goodwill, popularly known as Pagri, of which they possessed relevant legal documents.

Terming the eviction move ‘violation of their human rights,’ the occupants complained that no alternative accommodations were being offered to them. This means that the administration does not care if the 100-plus families are rendered homeless and more than 50 businessmen, traders and shopkeepers are deprived of their livelihood, they deplored.

Women’s association intends to undertake ‘vertical expansion’ of property to accommodate more welfare schemes

The Apwa notice, served to each of the occupants, states that it intends to undertake a vertical expansion of the property in view of the increasing number of female students studying in the ‘Excellence School’ functioning within the complex.

While the other floors would be utilised for welfare of women and children, training centres and shelters would be established on some floors, the notice read.

Citing Section 15 of the Sindh Rented Premises Ordinance, 1979, the notice states that the property can be got vacated on the basis of owner’s ‘personal and genuine need’.

The Apwa administration has also claimed that some of the occupants of these flats had not been paying their liabilities since February 2025, “which serves as an additional legal ground for the eviction”.

However, the affected occupants of flats, offices and shops contested the claim, insisting that rent, maintenance and utility bills were being regularly paid by them. They said the Apwa administration was wrongly describing the ‘maintenance charges’ as rent.

They said they would not oppose Apwa’s welfare scheme plan, but the affected stakeholders must be provided alternative accommodations first.

They demanded Apwa withdraw the eviction notices and do the needful to ensure that the occupants of the property were not left in the lurch or suffer heavy losses.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2026