KARACHI: With the looming threat of the monsoon season hanging over their heads, Gujjar, Orangi and Manzoor Colony nullahs affectees, who are still living under the open sky, reminded the government of their plight during a press conference on Friday.

“I am a heart patient. When I was younger I was strong enough to build a little home for myself and family in Sadiq Nagar of Manzoor Colony. Most of it got bulldozed. Things are very different now as I no longer have the strength or the finances to build a home all over again,” said Daniel Nazeer, an affectee.

He urged the Sindh government, the federal government and the army chief to give his and his neighbours alternate homes at least.

“Me and my family are forced to live on rent after our home was demolished. But the Rs90,000 given to us by the government has also run out now. We want a home to replace the one we lost,” said Nasreen Liaquat, a Gujjar Nullah affectee.

Rights activist Karamat Ali reminded the affectees that they should not be requesting or urging the government to look their way and give them a home. “You are citizens of a country with a Constitution that gives you the right to have a roof over your heads,” he said. “It is so sad that the state is doing the opposite of that,” he added.

“You are not to beg or plead before those who snatch lands and homes from their rightful owners. It is so sad that we have a president who hails from Karachi where all this injustice took place. He should be ashamed of himself. He should return all his salary and add it to the fund for building alternate housing for you all,” Karamat Ali opined.

Zahid Farooq of the Urban Resource Centre, urban planner Mohammed Toheed, Anis Haroon, member of the National Commission for Human Rights and Mansha Noor, executive secretary at Caritas Pakistan, also spoke.

Published in Dawn, By Shazia Hasan June 18th, 2022