Islamabad:The civil society representatives, in a press conference organised on Monday, strongly condemned the imminent threat of demolition and forced eviction facing residents of Allama Iqbal Colony, a 25-year-old, predominantly Christian working-class settlement reportedly slated for clearance in the coming week.
The civil society representatives and human rights activists, while addressing a press conference jointly organised by All Party Alliance for Katchi Abadis, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), National Commission for Justice and Peace, Awami Workers Party, Aurat March Islamabad, and allied civil society organizations, unequivocally rejected the ongoing pattern of evictions carried out by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) without due process, adequate notice or lawful rehabilitation.
“These actions are not isolated incidents but part of a broader and deeply unjust approach that disproportionately targets low-income communities across Islamabad’s Katchi Abadis -- affecting families who have lived and worked in these areas for decades.
Moreover, the continued disregard for the 2015 Supreme Court stay-order and the absence of a coherent and rights-based policy reflects the troubling erosion of legal protections for marginalised citizens,” said the speakers.
They said that the issue transcends any single religious or social group. “The demolition of Katchi Abadis represents a systemic assault on the housing, dignity and livelihoods of working-class communities. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, facing heightened risks of displacement, insecurity and loss of access to basic services. The climate of fear surrounding these evictions further suppresses the ability of affected residents to organize and assert their rights.”
They called on the authorities to immediately halt all planned and ongoing eviction operations, including in Allama Iqbal Colony and Rimsha Colony, and to fully comply with existing judicial directives.
“We would remind the CDA that it is bound by prior Supreme Court orders to all the provinces -- as well as the CDA -- to develop and submit comprehensive policies for all informal settlements, which the provinces have already completed.”
They further demand meaningful engagement with representatives of Katchi Abadi communities, as well as accountability for arbitrary and unlawful actions undertaken in the name of urban development.
