Karachi: In Malir, locals are given only a two-week warning to leave their houses, or else they will lose possession of anything.
For more than 30 years, the land in Malir district has been under the threat of encroachment by Bahria Town, the Defense Housing Authority (DHA), and numerous housing schemes. The locals have been fighting to protect their land and their history.
On April 20, 2024, locals received a message instructing them to meet the military officer at a checkpost beside Samandari Baba Mazar. Locals were astonished when the military officer warned them to leave their land.
“You have only two weeks to vacate your land, the military officer warned in a threatening tone. Otherwise, you will not be able to take a single piece of brick,” said Saleem Salar Jokhio, a victim.
Fourteen villages fall under three Dehs: Deh Joreji, Deh Dhaandho, and Deh Ketirehro where tribes like Jokhio, Kalmati, and others living for centuries. Now their farmland, houses, and graveyards are set to be taken away in 14 days.
It is not the first time that the military has kept an eye on Malir’s land. In 1993, then Pakistan People’s Party government gifted 135000 acres of deh Dhaandho and deh Ketirehro under ‘free of cost’ for a field firing range. Even at that time, several villages were evicted and many villagers became homeless. Additionally, the military, occasionally, extended its boundaries from 13500 acres to 25000 acres, affecting more villagers during such expansions.
The victims in Malir raised their concerns about how the military could evict them from their houses when they held leasehold for their land. Deh Joreji, Deh Dhaandho, and Deh Ketirehro have villages that are registered under “Sindh Goth Abad Housing Scheme Act 1987.” These villages have schools, hospitals, farmland, and graveyards, which serve as evidence of their long-standing presence. However, the victims have already decided to fight for justice and registered their case CPD-234/2019 in the Sindh High Court, but no one from the military has appeared in court.
Hafeez Baloch, a prominent activist and member of the Sindh Indigenous Alliance, has been fighting for the protection of land for over a decade. He expresses concerns that the issue may extend beyond the initial fourteen villages, suggesting that more than fourteen villages could be uprooted. From Bahria Town to DHA: all these entities are united in their efforts to remove locals from their land.
“This is not only a fight for Malir’s land; it is a fight for Sindh to protect the land from tycoons who want to build their housing schemes on the land of poor people,” emphasized Hafeez.
“Everything including history, which dates back a long time, is at stake. We are warned to leave because the military wants the land,” says Jokhio.
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