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GENEVA: UN human rights experts have urged Pakistani authorities to “stop evicting close to 100,000 people living along two of Karachi’s narrow watercourses”— the Gujjar nullah and Orangi nullah.
According to a statement issued by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the anti-encroachment drive by city authorities was carried out “without adequate consultation with the affected residents and no relocation plan”.
“The legal basis for this mass displacement and the remedies available to those who are affected are unclear. What is clear is the horrid effect on the displaced population, putting many poor families out on the street in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic,” it added.
The statement further said that the evictions and demolitions, ordered after last year’s devastating rains, “may affect up to 12,000 homes housing 96,000 people”.
Citing latest data, the statement added that more than 66,500 people have already been affected — in Gujjar nullah, 4,900 homes of 50,000 people have been demolished, along with 1,700 homes housing 16,500 people in Orangi nullah.
“Many of the affected homeowners have established tenure through land leases, or were connected to public utilities such as gas, water and electricity,” the UN experts noted.
According to the experts, human rights law does not prohibit resettling people who live along waterways if they are exposed to significant flood risk that cannot be mitigated otherwise.
“However, any project to reduce risks of natural disasters requires due process and full compliance with international human rights norms governing relocation and resettlement, and guaranteeing that no one is rendered into homelessness,” they stressed.
The UN human rights experts have urged Pakistan to ensure that its policies and practices are in full compliance with international human rights standards governing relocations, evictions, and internal displacement.
Protests against evictions
Earlier on Monday, Karachi police detained several persons, including women and children, protesting outside Bilawal House in Karachi against the demolition of homes situated on Gujjar and Orangi nullahs in an anti-encroachment operation.
Affectees and civil society organisations held a protest outside Bilawal House in Karachi. However, their efforts were foiled by police who allegedly “hijacked” two buses and detained several persons including women and children, according to the organisers.
Police had already barricaded the roads leading to the Bilawal House. However, when the protestors tried removing those barricades, police stopped them from doing so and arrested multiple people. The police later released the protestors and the demonstration was called off.
Operation against Gujjar nullah encroachments
Last year, an operation to remove encroachments along the Gujjar Nullah was launched, a week after heavy rains devastated the city and flooded residential areas.
Authorities removed commercial encroachments, such as cattle markets and parking spots alongside the Gujjar nullah to ensure the drain does not get clogged in the future. The drive has now progressed to demolishing illegal residential structures, leading to mass evictions.
