Hotline Asia Urgent Appeals -- SUA020208(2)

Stop Forced Eviction of Lyari Nadi Communities in Karachi
~ PAKISTAN ~
8 February 2002

Action Requested || Sample Letter || Background
Please respond immediately
Update

Summary

On 21 and 22 January 2002 the government undertook the first phase of a massive operation in Karachi to dismantle the homes and evict the poor communities living in settlements along a 2.5 kilometre stretch on the banks of the Lyari Nadi (River) in order to build the Lyari Expressway. In this operation about 2000 units were bulldozed. According to the actual plan, about 25,000 units in total, are supposed to be bulldozed.

The government has announced compensation of Rs.50,000/= (about US$830) and a small plot of land to each family at the fringes of the city. The present settlements are located in the city centre and have an estimated property value of a minimum of Rs.500,000/= (about US$8,300) per family.

According to the government survey, this clearance operation will displace 11,964 housing units, 42 religious places (mosques, churches, manders) and 1,035 shops/workshops/factories. However, community surveys contradict government's figures and they fear the actual displacement will be three times higher than government estimates. Moreover, poor families will be displaced from their homes in the midst of winter's harsh cold weather.

A number of displaced persons took legal action against the operation and bulldozing operations were stopped after the courts issued notices to city government representatives. The courts had fixed 8 February 2002 for the next hearing date. More cases from other individuals are also likely. If the courts reject these cases then the government may continue its bulldozing operation from 9 or 10 February (No demolition operation was reported after 22 January).
 
Action Requested

Please send polite letters urging the government to:

  1. Immediately stop evictions;

  2. Rehabilitate those that have already been evicted;

  3. Make proper arrangements for resettlement before eviction;

  4. Increase the amount of compensation to the actual value of the properties;

  5. Develop a timeframe and cost for the resettlement plan.

Send letters to:    
H. E. General Pervez Musharraf
President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan
President House
Islamabad
Pakistan		 Fax:

E-mail:

 92-51-9207656
92-51-9270205
ce@pak.gov.pk
Send copies to:    
Main Muhammad Soomro
Governor of Sindh
Governor's House, Karachi
Pakistan		 Fax:
92-21-9205041
92-21-9201215
92-21-9201226
Ovis Ghani
Federal Minister for local Bodies Katchi Abadis
Pakistan		 Fax:
92-51-9224890
Advocate Namatullah Khan
City Nazim
Pakistan		 Fax:
92-21-9215117
92-21-9215131
Tansneem Ahmad Siddiqui
Director General Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority
Karachi
Pakistan		 Fax:
92-21-9211272
Diplomatic Representatives of Pakistan in your country.
 

Sample Letter

We are shocked to hear that the Karachi City government are undertaking massive bulldozing operations of the homes of poor people in Lyari Nadi (River) in Karachi. The operation was started on 21 January 2002 with large number of community establishments being bulldozed. It may bulldoze 25,000 more houses along the banks of the Lyari River in coming days.

This operation will leave thousands of families homeless at the height of winter, rendering many children, elderly and the infirm vulnerable to sickness. It will destroy assets worth millions of Rupees of very poor people, and the city government has no plans to compensate these families or offer them alternative living places.

Presently it has announced compensation of Rs. 50,000 and a plot at the city fringes, which we believe is not a sufficient compensation according to any local or international standards. Many of these communities have lived there for well over forty years, and have invested time and resources in acquiring basic amenities like water, electricity, etc.

Such forced evictions is a cruel and inhuman act that is considered a gross violation of human rights, in particular to the right to adequate housing. Pakistan was one of the first to sign the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which ensures that every child should have a decent place to live. Furthermore, in 1996, your Government committed itself to the global plan of action of Habitat II, which recognises the right to adequate housing, condemns forced evictions and encourages a humane way of dealing with poor squatter families.

We, therefore, humbly and urgently request you to settle the problems created by:

  1. Stopping evictions immediately;
  2. Rehabilitating those that have already been evicted;
  3. Making proper arrangements for resettlement before eviction;
  4. Increasing the amount of compensation to the actual value of the properties;
  5. Developing a timeframe and cost for the resettlement plan.
 

Background

These evictions are being undertaken to allow construction of the Lyari Expressway on both banks of the Lyari River. Most urban planners and NGOs firmly believe the city does not need this Expressway. According to them, the Northern Bypass is a much better option for the city (Work on Northern Bypass has already begun).

The communities were given three-day's notice to vacate their houses. After this deadline the government started bulldozing operations on Monday 21 January 2002. The entire area was surrounded by police and paramilitary during the operations. The communities feel that the government has betrayed them with false promises of decent resettlement (relocation) before bulldozing their houses. The residents have built their homes over years with their life savings.

Only 14 persons were qualified for the government compensation of Rs 50,000 (about US$830) and 80 square yards at the fringes of the city. Later on, the number was further reduced to 10 persons only.

Affected People and Units:

The communities have released their updated survey results of the effects of forced evictions:

  • 25,400 housing units

  • 77,000 families

  • A total population of 203,200 (54% male & 46% female)

  • 3,600 shops/commercial units

  • 146 places of religious worship

  • 110 schools

  • 20,000 children will not be able to sit their final exams this year

(All these settlements have basic infrastructure like water supply, sewerage, electricity etc.)

The Northern Bypass and the Lyari Expressway:

The Northern Bypass was proposed by the Karachi Master Plan 1975-85. If the bypass had been built, all port related traffic, which now passes through the city, would have been redirected through it to the Super Highway. Since this traffic consists mainly of heavy diesel vehicles, their bypassing the city would have helped in removing congestion and pollution in Karachi. However, the bypass, for a variety of reasons, was never built and over the years the volume of port related traffic has steadily increased, congesting and polluting the city further.

In 1989 a group of public spirited citizens proposed the Lyari Expressway as an alternative to the Northern Bypass. The Expressway was to be an elevated one built over the Lyari River from the port to Sohrab Goth. Subsequently, the local government changed its plans and decided to build the Expressway along the banks of the Lyari River.

Many public hearings and discussions were held on the two alternatives and in 1998 it was decided by the then Mayor that the Northern Bypass alternative was a better solution.

After coming to power, the present military government took important steps to undertake the building of the bypass alternative. However, in June 2000 it decided to build both the Bypass and the Lyari Expressway.

For more information, please visit www.urckarachi.org
 

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