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The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wrote to you on 25 January (Re: HA-01-2006) and 10 April 2006 (UP-073-2006) detailing the city district government’s plans to make way for the Lyari Expressway Mega Project. Since the beginning of January an estimate of 11,000 houses and 3,100 commercial buildings have been destroyed, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless and deprived of basic necessities. According to the Government’s latest plans, it is believed that a total of 25,000 houses will be demolished at the completion of the expressway.

The AHRC have learned that efforts for the construction of the Lyari Expressway recommenced on May 5 with more than 250 houses demolished in Sikander. The community has been of immense importance to its inhabitants, many of which were adamant not to leave the land of their ancestors. The Karachi district governments used police forces to disperse the protestors and during the conflict two people were killed. Sixteen-year-old Rafiq Ismail and an elderly Manzoor were killed by police fire, 51 people were injured and several were arrested.

The super highway was blocked for several hours as a result of the violence. On May 6 when people of the community tried to return and salvage what once stood as their home, police and military officials of the Karachi government again responded with tear shells and baton charges to scatter the angry protestors. Soon after the reports of clashes between the police and protestors, reinforcements were called from 155 police stations to control the troubled area.

According to Urban Resource Centre, a civic body of Pakistan working on the housing rights for the people, over three thousand houses had been demolished in the latest campaign of the City Government. The government has not paid any compensation to those who have fallen victim to the project and has clearly contravened the laws of the Pakistan Constitution including the Land Acquisition Act 1997 (amended) and the decisions of the Sindh High Court in June 2003.

Dispute the violence, pressure has been mounting as political parties, civil social organisations and the media continue to campaign against the city’s actions. It is said that the project has demolished many homes that do not even fall under the path of the expressway. This is being done simply to take control of prime land to facilitate the ruling janta and land mafia.

The Sindh Assembly in its latest session has criticised the demolition of old Goths (communities). Even the Chief Minister of Sindh Province announced in the Sindh Assembly on April 28 that there should be no demolition of houses. On May 6 the City District Government Council, the elected body in Karachi, condemned the demolitions of working class communities and Shanti Towns as an act of land grabbing.

The AHRC also condemns the demolitions in the name of “cleaning the city drive” announced by Mayor Nazim of the Karachi City Government during the so-called anti-encroachment operation. The government has denied thousands of their right to shelter and has ignored all violations of the UN’s charter of human rights.

Background

The Sindh Provincial Government and Karachi City District Government is continuing to demolish houses of working class people in the name of the “clean the city drive” to grab the land for commercial purposes. In January, the City Government encroachment team completed the demolition of Allah Wala colony, Jamshed town of Karachi where more than 400 houses were demolished.

On February 14, over 1000 huts were destroyed on the opposite side of the main gate of the Karachi University. On March 9, 150 houses were demolished on the instructions of Town Nazim and 300 houses in New Karachi also suffered the same fate. On March 10, in Korangi Town, another town of Karachi, the local administration bulldozed a further 200 houses. These were all acts in the pretext of road extension however no compensation has been guaranteed.

On March 13, in Gulshan-e-Iqbal town of Karachi, 1250 houses were also demolished in Jumma Goth. The eviction of the settlement was brutal and without any prior notice. Many of the families lost their household necessities. According to the Government the settlement was illegal and located on one of the main water supply pipelines. According to a survey of the Urban Resource Centre there were also many other high-rise buildings illegally constructed on the same water pipeline, however these were left untouched by the government.

The City Government has taken a hard line and has ignored violations of many domestic laws and provisions of the constitution. During the latest consultations assembly of the councilors it was announced that they will continue to demolish the village at any cost.

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SOURCE: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)