Entering E-12 sector from E-11, you find the debris of over 500 demolished houses just beside the main road. The site reminded me of the worst days of terrorism in my native tribal areas when we would often come across houses demolished by the war but it is not the tribal area that I’m talking about here. It’s Islamabad, the capital of the country, where more than 5000 people have been deprived of their houses in a massive anti-encroachment drive conducted by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) & Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration last week.
When we reached there, the affected families were busy trying to retrieve some of their ‘precious’ belongings from the wreckage. I was in my NGO’s uniform. They probably thought I was some government official. They asked me if I could help them build their houses. I didn’t have an answer. Or at least I didn’t want to give them one.
In the first house on the left row, a 60-year-old man along with some youngsters was busy in the recovery operation, at the same time involved in a heated exchange with his neighbour over the ownership of some bricks. It eventually spiraled into a swearing contest.
He is Abdul Hakeem Khan, hailing from the former FATA’s Bajaur Agency. He shifted to Islamabad after Operation Sherdil, a powerful military offensive conducted against the TTP back in 2008. He settled here for a shelter for his kids but the house has now been demolished by the CDA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o63ho6Qiqbw
“We are poor people. We migrated from Bajaur tribal district during the operation as we lost everything we had there. We came here looking for peace and a securer future but now I’ve been deprived of this shelter too” Khan added.
He further added that when CDA team visited the area some days ago, “we inquired from them if they were going to demolish the houses and they said no, but then they did”.
“Now wherever we go for renting a house, they don’t permit us to keep the livestock; that’s why we are living in tents. We are helpless”.
Sector E-12 was first announced in the 1970s, and the CDA acquired land for around 5,000 housing units. The sector is spread over 777.3 acres and consists of six mouzas: Dharek Mohri, Bhakar Mohri, Bhakkar Fateh Baksh, Bara Darri, Sari Saral and Golra Sharif. The authorities have not been able to take possession of the land due to claims by locals that their property award claims are still pending.
Meanwhile more than 4,000 people have been allotted plots in this sector. Most of the original people who were allotted plots have already died waiting to get possession of their land for the last 30 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXG23lQBEQs
But some people living on this land for the last couple of years say that CDA’s claims of ownership of the E12 land are fabricated, having no authenticity.
Aslam, a member of the Awami Workers Party, lost his 4-marla house in recent anti-encroachment drive. He told Naya Daur that when CDA was acquiring land three decades ago, they promised that authority will give alternative plots to the residents. Those who didn’t need plots were to be compensated in cash.
But when the time came, a compensation of only Rs 600 per Kanal was given and many land owners weren’t even compensated or awarded plots by CDA, Aslam said.
However, the CDA claims that all the residents have been compensated.
On February 18, 2019, Dawn reported that “Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration jointly carried out a gigantic operation on illegal possessions from acquired land in sector E-12 and demolished 890 illegal houses, boundary walls and other constructions during the last three days.”
In E-12 there is no facility of electricity or drinking water. People have installed mini solar systems in their homes while the water is mostly polluted.
Mohammad Saleem hails from Bajaur tribal district and has been working here in F-10 market Islamabad as a cobbler, earning 800-1000 rupees per day to support his family.
On July 20 last year, five days ahead of the general election, he left Islamabad along with the family members to caste vote to Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for a better and new Pakistan but he says he’s now ashamed on his decision.
“My dream was to purchase a cow and other cattle in my new house constructed in E-12 and my life was gradually settling down after the military operation in our area but CDA ruined our dreams and demolished all our constructions violently without a prior notice” Saleem said.
He further added that he had bought a cow for Rs 50,000 one year ago and fed it well but now his house has been demolished and he wants to sell it but the offers he’s receiving are much less than the price he had purchased it for.
CDA under the last government made various attempts to retrieve the government land from the alleged encroachers but always failed due to the staunch resistance from the people. But in the final drive, they have totally demolished the structures.
Mohammad Iqbal, a resident of the area whose 5-room house was demolished in recent operation, claims that they were never compensated and today CDA is paying only 600 rupees per kanal while on the other hand the same land in the same area is worth over 40 million rupees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k_wwp4UOrs
He is linked with PTI for years and also campaigned for the party in last general elections. Talking to Naya Daur he said, “I have 5 kids and my only source of comfort was my house which I built after selling some jewelry of my wife while some money was borrowed from relatives to complete the house construction”.
“Mr Prime Minister, if you are fighting for justice then why did you discriminate against us? While your own luxurious house is regularized in Bani Gala, which was illegally constructed, those who have these modest houses are being accused of illegalities”.
In sector E-12, most of the people claim ownership of the land for which stay orders have already been obtained but they claim that their houses were not only demolished without a prior notice but the civic agency and ICT had also violated the court stay orders.
When contacted, the official spokesperson of CDA Syed Safdar Shah promised to answer the questions but had not responded till the filing of the story.
When we reached there, the affected families were busy trying to retrieve some of their ‘precious’ belongings from the wreckage. I was in my NGO’s uniform. They probably thought I was some government official. They asked me if I could help them build their houses. I didn’t have an answer. Or at least I didn’t want to give them one.
In the first house on the left row, a 60-year-old man along with some youngsters was busy in the recovery operation, at the same time involved in a heated exchange with his neighbour over the ownership of some bricks. It eventually spiraled into a swearing contest.
He is Abdul Hakeem Khan, hailing from the former FATA’s Bajaur Agency. He shifted to Islamabad after Operation Sherdil, a powerful military offensive conducted against the TTP back in 2008. He settled here for a shelter for his kids but the house has now been demolished by the CDA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o63ho6Qiqbw
“We are poor people. We migrated from Bajaur tribal district during the operation as we lost everything we had there. We came here looking for peace and a securer future but now I’ve been deprived of this shelter too” Khan added.
He further added that when CDA team visited the area some days ago, “we inquired from them if they were going to demolish the houses and they said no, but then they did”.
“Now wherever we go for renting a house, they don’t permit us to keep the livestock; that’s why we are living in tents. We are helpless”.
Sector E-12 was first announced in the 1970s, and the CDA acquired land for around 5,000 housing units. The sector is spread over 777.3 acres and consists of six mouzas: Dharek Mohri, Bhakar Mohri, Bhakkar Fateh Baksh, Bara Darri, Sari Saral and Golra Sharif. The authorities have not been able to take possession of the land due to claims by locals that their property award claims are still pending.
Meanwhile more than 4,000 people have been allotted plots in this sector. Most of the original people who were allotted plots have already died waiting to get possession of their land for the last 30 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXG23lQBEQs
But some people living on this land for the last couple of years say that CDA’s claims of ownership of the E12 land are fabricated, having no authenticity.
Aslam, a member of the Awami Workers Party, lost his 4-marla house in recent anti-encroachment drive. He told Naya Daur that when CDA was acquiring land three decades ago, they promised that authority will give alternative plots to the residents. Those who didn’t need plots were to be compensated in cash.
But when the time came, a compensation of only Rs 600 per Kanal was given and many land owners weren’t even compensated or awarded plots by CDA, Aslam said.
However, the CDA claims that all the residents have been compensated.
On February 18, 2019, Dawn reported that “Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration jointly carried out a gigantic operation on illegal possessions from acquired land in sector E-12 and demolished 890 illegal houses, boundary walls and other constructions during the last three days.”
In E-12 there is no facility of electricity or drinking water. People have installed mini solar systems in their homes while the water is mostly polluted.
Mohammad Saleem hails from Bajaur tribal district and has been working here in F-10 market Islamabad as a cobbler, earning 800-1000 rupees per day to support his family.
On July 20 last year, five days ahead of the general election, he left Islamabad along with the family members to caste vote to Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for a better and new Pakistan but he says he’s now ashamed on his decision.
“My dream was to purchase a cow and other cattle in my new house constructed in E-12 and my life was gradually settling down after the military operation in our area but CDA ruined our dreams and demolished all our constructions violently without a prior notice” Saleem said.
He further added that he had bought a cow for Rs 50,000 one year ago and fed it well but now his house has been demolished and he wants to sell it but the offers he’s receiving are much less than the price he had purchased it for.
CDA under the last government made various attempts to retrieve the government land from the alleged encroachers but always failed due to the staunch resistance from the people. But in the final drive, they have totally demolished the structures.
Mohammad Iqbal, a resident of the area whose 5-room house was demolished in recent operation, claims that they were never compensated and today CDA is paying only 600 rupees per kanal while on the other hand the same land in the same area is worth over 40 million rupees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k_wwp4UOrs
He is linked with PTI for years and also campaigned for the party in last general elections. Talking to Naya Daur he said, “I have 5 kids and my only source of comfort was my house which I built after selling some jewelry of my wife while some money was borrowed from relatives to complete the house construction”.
“Mr Prime Minister, if you are fighting for justice then why did you discriminate against us? While your own luxurious house is regularized in Bani Gala, which was illegally constructed, those who have these modest houses are being accused of illegalities”.
In sector E-12, most of the people claim ownership of the land for which stay orders have already been obtained but they claim that their houses were not only demolished without a prior notice but the civic agency and ICT had also violated the court stay orders.
When contacted, the official spokesperson of CDA Syed Safdar Shah promised to answer the questions but had not responded till the filing of the story.