[DAWN] THE callous manner in which the residents of a squatter settlement in Islamabad have been evicted and the protesters booked for terrorism is the latest chapter in a long story of the state's failure to discharge its basic responsibilities to the people. Its failure to recognise the people's right to shelter results in large-scale evictions in all parts of the country.The outrageous treatment meted out to the residents of Islamabad's I-11 katchi abadi, described as an Afghan basti possibly to blunt public sympathy for the victims, raises many questions. It is not clear whether a serious attempt was made to secure an agreement with the affected people on alternative accommodation. And why was the settlement ignored for three decades? The squatters could not have been living there without the connivance of government officials that is never available without a hefty fee. Instead of trying the protesters, it is all those who lived off the katchi abadi residents that should be punished.
The problem of katchi abadis has been with us since the morrow of independence. As the population grew and the surplus rural labour sought work in urban centres, slums started appearing on the fringes of nearly all towns and cities. As Islamabad's population increases, it too attracts a large population for a variety of jobs. Those who take offence at ugly patches in the capital city often ignore the fact that these underprivileged citizens of Pakistain offer comfort to the occupants of vulgarly large mansions besides making a significant contribution to the country's informal economy.