LARKANA: A Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader rushed to the venue of a big demonstration to pacify angry residents of many localities whose houses, workplaces and other structures along the banks of Rice Canal were about to be demolished on Monday in compliance with a court order.

Leaders of the Larkana Awami Ittehad (LAI), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and nationalist groups were expressing solidarity with them when PPP leader Aijaz Leghari jumped in to convey, what he claimed, was a message from party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. He said the operation was being suspended and under a directive of the party chief, a review petition would be filed in court to ensure provision of relief to the area people.

Earlier, a large number of people from the targeted localities came out of their houses to pose stiff resistance to the anti-encroachment staff and irrigation officials in their attempt to start an operation. Crowds of people surrounded the bulldozers and other heavy machinery brought in by the demolition squad. Some of them climbed up on a bulldozer to warn the authorities concerned against moving ahead.

Realising the situation, the irrigation authorities did not start the operation to demolish illegally raised structures along the banks of Rice Canal and its offshoots.

During the course of the demonstration, MPA Moazzam Abbasi of LAI, Sindh secretary general of JUI-F Rashid Mehmood Soomro, his brother Nasir Mehmood Soomro and Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz (JSM-R) chairman Riaz Chandio arrived and addressed the protesters, who were raising slogans against the operation and urging the PPP and Sindh government to save them from being rendered homeless and without livelihood.

A strong contingent of police was already deployed in the area to meet any eventuality.

A woman activist of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), Nayab Sarkash, along with others activists climbed up to the heavy machinery and demanded shelving of the operation.

The Soomros of JUI-F, Mr Abbasi and other leaders in their speeches criticised the PPP government for its lukewarm attitude towards the plight of poor people facing eviction from their houses. They said leaders of the ruling party who had “siphoned off billions” of rupees from the exchequer appeared least concerned about the masses.

“We respect court orders, but the irrigation department should first dismantle the illegally raised bungalows of its own officers to get its lands retrieved,” one of them remarked.

PPP’s Aijaz Leghari emerged at the scene and told the protesters that he was here on a directive of party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. He said Bilawal was not in favour of evicting poor people from their houses as the party believed in providing and not snatching their shelter.

He said the party chairman had asked the officials concerned to file review petition and pursue the case. He also claimed that the local irrigation officials were told to halt the operation.

Irrigation officials, including superintendent engineer Haji Ayaz Memon and executive engineer Munir Morio were there to supervise the anti-encroachment drive.

Speaking to reporters, SE Morio said “we are here to implement the court orders regarding encroachments”. He said the survey department had earmarked limits of irrigation department’s land. “Subsequently, we did the marking,” he added.

Sources in the irrigation department told this reporter that the operation was only suspended fearing a law and order situation. They pointed out in this regard that political parties had jumped into the situation where the area people had already put up strong resistance.

The sources said that a new date for the operation would be announced soon in the light of court orders.

SUKKUR: Activists of various civil society organisations took out a rally in the city and assembled at Gharibabad Chowk on Monday to express solidarity with the people dislodged from their houses in a recent anti-encroachment operation.

Speaking to the participants, Ashfaque Bhatti, Abdul Hameed Shaikh, Waqar Soomro and others criticised the district administration for getting houses of poor people bulldozed in the name of encroachment removal.

They condemned the authorities concerned for rendering hundreds of families homeless and making men, women and children live under the open sky in the harsh winter.

They noted that the affected families had been living in the decades-old localities, and slammed the authorities concerned for evicting them without first providing them any alternative accommodations.

They questioned declaring of these localities illegal, arguing that electricity, gas and water utilities had legally provided connections to the households after due verification process.

They appealed to the judiciary to look into the matter and order provision of some alternative accommodations to the affected families.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2019