KARACHI: The Sindh United Party (SUP) on Wednesday demanded from the provincial government to immediately halt the process of allotting 5,000 to 6,000 acres of land near Hawksbay to the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and warned that the party would launch a strong protest if the land was allotted.

Addressing a press conference along with party leaders and residents of different villages on the coastal line, SUP Central President Syed Zain Shah said that the provincial government had decided to allot the land in Hawksbay to the DHA which was a sheer injustice to the local people who had been living there for over 100 years.

He said that on Dec 18, 2023, Administrator of DHA Brigadier Rana Shahzad Shafi had written to the then caretaker chief minister Maqbool Baqar, stating that DHA should be allotted 5,000 to 6,000 acres of land in the vicinity of Hawksbay for further expansion of its scheme.

He said that the then caretaker government, by exceeding its constitutional authority, started the process of giving land to the DHA, although it should have been delayed until the elected government was established.

Says thousands of people will be evicted from their ‘ancestral land’

The SUP chief said that the process of giving the land to DHA was further geared up by the PPP-led provincial government as the land utilisation department issued a letter to the deputy commissioner of Keamari to send survey report with map of the land which was located on the sea shore within 7 days.

He said that over 45 villages established in Deh Allah Banu, Deh Mendiari and Deh Chhatara in district Keamari would be affected as thousands of people belonging to Bhand, Kalamati, Khaskheli and Brohi communities, whose livelihood was linked to the sea, would be evicted from their ancestral lands.

“It is clear that the land is being taken away from the poor people and given to the rich, and the government that calls itself the people’s government is also involved in this anti-people plan,” he said, adding that almost two-third of Karachi’s land was already under the control of the cantonment boards.

He said that coastal belt belonged primarily to the fishermen and labouring families who had settled there centuries ago.

“Instead of providing all basic facilities, ownership rights and employment to thousands of families, their lands are being grabbed,” he said.

He said that the party had decided to launch a protest movement on July 10 along with the people who were likely to be evicted from their land.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2024