A marred Eid for residents living along the KCR tracks

“When I saw the bulldozers come into the colony, my sons and I immediately rushed to take out all our furniture and store it at our neighbour’s houses; I don’t even know what things I put in whose house. Where did I put my children’s Eid clothes, where did I put the shoes for my granddaughter to give as a present; I lost my house, I lost everything…”
Zulekha, a resident of Mujahid Colony, located in UC-09 Nazimabad, Karachi, is amongst the hundreds of citizens who have been affected by the current “anti-encroachment drive” initiated as a result of the orders of the Supreme Court issued on 9th May 2019. As per the directives of the SC, all encroachments along the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) track were to be cleared within two weeks. What has ensued, however, is that the administration has missed the other part of the order, which provided for the resettlement of the affected persons.
With temperatures rising to 40 degrees and residents observing fasts in the month of Ramzan, people living in the demolished settlements question the urgency of the operation that could have been carried out after Eid. Given that municipal authorities did not issue notices prior to the demolition, residents have been left scrambling to find alternative arrangements; while many continue living in the debris of their demolished houses. The settlements most severely affected by the ongoing operation include Gharibabad, Quaid-e-Azam Colony, Wahid Colony, Mujahid Colony, Moosa Colony and settlement located around Gilani station and Urdu College; most of which are located in District East of Karachi.

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