Urban Resource Centre Activity Report January – June 2019 Displaced families registering a peaceful demonstration: The Pakistan Railways (PR) displaced over 1,100 families along Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). These forced evictions were brutal and without prior notices. No compensations or alternative relocation were provided to displaced families. On 9th May 2019 Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) directed the authorities to revitalize the defunct KCR and removal encroachment along its tracks. But the SCP also directed PR to relocate the project affected families in proper way. See more inside Urban Resource Centre A-2/2, 2nd Floor, Westland Trade Centre, Commercial Area, Block 7 & 8 Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Karachi Pakistan Tel: +92 21 – 3431 5656 and Cell 03332108916 E-mail; [email protected], Web Site: urckarachi.org, FB: www.facebook.com/URCKHI/ Contents Highlights 02 1.0 Eviction Watch and Housing Rights 03 2.0 URC Forums 14 3.0 Act as watch group 16 4.0 Networking and Exchange 18 5.0 Community Architect Training 20 6.0 Youth Training Program 20 7.0 Publications 21 8.0 Documentation 23 9.0 Shelter Program 23 10.0 Budget and Expenditure 25 11.0 Photographs of the activities 26 Appendix List of URC’s publications and documents 1 Highlights During current reporting period the Pakistan Railways (PR) displaced over 1,100 families along Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). These forced evictions were brutal and without prior notices. No compensations or alternative relocation were provided to displaced families. On 9th May 2019 Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) directed the authorities to revitalize the defunct KCR and removal encroachment along its tracks. SCP also directed to relocate the project affected families On the orders of Supreme Court the government started a massive demolition operation in the city. Over 15,000 venders and small shopkeepers were displaced during this operation. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has demolished shops in a brutal way without any prior notices. No compensations and resettlement were offered to the displaced shopkeepers. In many instances the shopkeepers were not allowed to take out their goods before demolition of their shops. URC developed collaboration with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and academic institution to stop forced evictions and prepared alternative. During current reporting period URC held forums on the following subject: Dispacement of shops and houses and alrternative options Land and Land Ownership Rights Forced Evictions of the Shops and Houses – A Way Forward Women Health and Education Anti Quackery – An overview of background and facts Climate Changes and its impact on built environment URC has initiated the Community Architect Program. The four batches of 59 youth have completed their training. Now training for 5th batch will start from February 2018. URC also started a community profiling in five cities, including Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, DG Khan and Sheikhapura. A shelter housing project was also initiated in Khipro Sanghar district with the support of SELAVIP. Under this program 75 one roomed shelter will be support to the poor families in Khipro. A number of news articles and stories published in various newspapers related to URC work. 2 1.0 Eviction Watch and Housing Rights Program Evictions in Karachi; The government on basis of recent Supreme Court’s orders initiated massive eviction operation in Karachi. The orders include: i. On 9th May Supreme Court ordered removal encroachments and residential colonies along Karachi Circular railway tracks, this resulted displacement of over 1108 families. Still many hundreds families are facing eviction threats ii. On 27th October 2018 the Supreme Court ordered the removal of illegal encroachments in Karachi. This resulted displacement of over 15,000 small shops and vendors in the city. Eviction of communities along Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) tracks Over 5,000 families have been living along Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) tracks in Karachi. The government had conducted a survey in 2013 and declared all these families as project affected persons (PAP). The government listed all these families and they were informed in written notices to be relocated under a government developed resettlement project. The KCR affected communities formed their alliance under the name of KCR Effectees Action Committee (KCREAC). The KCREAC has been actively collaborating URC for last many years to find ways for proper resettlement of these communities. Here is a brief of activities of the current reporting period; URC along with communities and other civil society partners has been advocating to assert housing rights of KCR project affected persons. On 10th January 2019 a joint meetings of community activists and URC representative was held at URC office to discuss the situation of evictions. The members for Karachi Urban Lab (KUL – IBA) also attended the meeting. The meeting discussed various ways and strategies to stop the current wave of evictions. The community activists also stressed to develop their networking with various political parties and concerns government officials for a proper resettlement plan before displacement of poor communities. URC also assured its continued support to the communities to stop evictions. On 21st January Mr. Navid Anthony member of Provincials Assembly from ruling party raised the issue of forced evictions and demanded a resettlement plan for KCR’s affected communities. This is worth to mention here that Mr. Anthony attended URC meetings and forum on evictions and promised to raise the issue on assembly floor. On 22nd January 2019 anti-encroachment bulldozers arrived at Muhammadi Colony (Macher Colony) to demolished, but the community lodged very strong protest. The community men, women and children came out on the streets to stop demolition operation. Due to very strong resistance from community the government has to halt 3 the operation. On 21st March 2019 Gharibabad (PIDC) received demolition notices from Pakistan Railways (PR). The settlement was listed in the KCR project and all families were declared as projected affected persons. The government already promised to provide alternative relocation to the affected persons. But PR did not mention any relocation in its notices. On 29th March 2019 National Human Rights Commission held its hearing in its Karachi office. The community activists and URC representatives drew the attention of the NCHR towards the forced eviction notices that PR issued to Gharibabad. After hearing the arguments, the NCHR issued an order to the PR for stopping evictions of the settlements. The NCHR further said in its order that PR cannot demolition houses of the KCR project affected persons without awarding alternative relocation or compensation to them. On 24th April 2019 a meeting of community activists was held at URC office. To discuss increasing threats of evictions. The activists feared that the government and Pakistan Railways (PR) were planning to demolished their settlements. According to the news reports the PR has been planning to reclaimed its land and sell it for commercial purposes. On 9th May 2019 the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has directed removal of encroachments along Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) tracks within 15 days. But the SCP also directed the government to provide alternative relocation to the affected families. There are over 5,000 families living along KCR track. On 15th May 2019 the Pakistan Railways started demolishing the settlements and displacing poor families. Over 30 families were rendered homeless at a settlement near Urdu College station. These demolitions were ruthless and brutal without any prior notice, in violation of SCP and no alternative were given to the displaced families. These evictions were carried out in the holy month of fasting in very harsh humid hot climate, when heatwaves were looming over the city’s skies. Many displaced families have been living on the rubbles of their houses in harsh hot climate for over a month now. URC along with communities has already been working to stop these forced evictions for past many years and the recent eviction unfortunately were a serious below on these efforts to stop eviction in Karachi. URC has intensified its lobbying and advocacy efforts to stop further evictions. A collaborative network of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and effected communities was formed to advocate with media and government to stop further evictions. On 17th May an emergency meeting of URC representatives, CSOs and community activists was held to discuss the situation and drew a strategy to lobby against forced evictions. The meeting decided to mobilize communities and other stakeholders to stop these brutal evictions. The meeting also decided to call on a meeting of Civil Society Organizations to further highlight the worsening situation of the displaced communities. 4 On 21st May 2019 a meeting of CSOs and communities was held at Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) office. The affected and under threat communities presented their case of unjustified displacement. The meeting decided to support the communities and form a wider coalition against forced eviction. The civil society organizations will support the communities in advocacy and assist them to develop networking with government in negotiations for relocation of the displaced communities. On 22nd May the representatives of affected communities and civil society organized a joint press conference at Karachi Press