The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, along with several civil society organisations, on Sunday called on authorities to immediately halt all planned and ongoing eviction operations in Islamabad’s low-income areas and katchi abadis (informal settlements).
The call was made in a statement issued by the HRCP following a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad.
“The All Party Alliance for Katchi Abadis, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, National Commission for Justice and Peace, Awami Workers Party, Aurat March Islamabad and allied civil society organisations strongly condemn 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 statement read.
It added: “We unequivocally reject the ongoing pattern of evictions carried out by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad, 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,” the statement said.
The CDA is carrying out anti-encroachment operations with special focus on illegal slums in Islamabad.
According to CDA’s rules, 34 societies/schemes were supposed to transfer amenity land in the name of the civic agency for further utilisation. However, despite the passage of years, CDA has failed to get the land. There are reports that many societies have already eaten up the land after carving out plots.
On the other hand, after removing Muslim Colony in Bari Imam area, CDA also conducting an operation against Rimsha Colony at H-9 and Shapar Colony of G-7.
According to the civic agency, in G-7 some commercial and residential structures were removed, which were built in a public park. In Rimsha Colony, some junkyards and shops were also removed. The CDA has termed these two slums illegal and an encroachment on state land.
These actions upset the slum dwellers, who say the CDA verbally informed them that the operation would continue. At a press conference held earlier this month, it was also pointed out that Rimsha Colony was itself settled by the CDA in the past.
The community leaders at the press briefing had demanded that the eviction process be immediately suspended and that the 2015 Supreme Court order regarding the protection and rehabilitation of kutchi abadi residents be fully respected.
In its statement, the HRCP also decried “continued disregard for the 2015 Supreme Court stay order and the absence of a coherent and rights-based policy”, saying it reflected the “troubling erosion of legal protections for marginalised citizens”.
“This 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 organise and assert their rights,” the statement further said.
It added: “We call 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.”
Additionally, the statement said the government should urgently develop and implement a “national transparent, inclusive and rights-compliant framework that guarantees security of tenure (malikana huqooq), ensures prior consultation with affected communities, and provides fair resettlement within a reasonable radius along with adequate compensation where displacement is unavoidable”.
“We 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,” the statement read.