ISLAMABAD: A large number of dwellers of H-9 Rimsha Colony on Sunday brought out a rally against the Capital Development Authority`s (CDA) expected operation against slums.

Led by Christian leader J Salik, participants of the rally staged a protest against the CDA and raised slogansin theirfavour.

They said they were shifted here by the CDA years ago, but now the authority was set to remove them.

They said the CDA had already conducted a minor operation in the slum recently.

Similarly, slum dwellers of the G-7 Shapar Colony area are also protesting these days against expected operations, as the CDA recently demolished some structures in this slum, which, according to the authority, were built in a public park.

Meanwhile, the Awami Workers Party (AWP) on Sunday demanded an immediate end to what it alleged was the `harassment` of katchi abadi dwellers across the federal capital who, according to the party, were being threatened with summary eviction from their homes in complete contravention of both the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan andthe National Housing Policy 2025.

The AWP has called for the federal government to issue a clear rebuke to CDA and ICT authorities that `are spreading fear across the capital`s established katchi abadis`, while demanding compensation for the thousands of residents of Muslim Colony, Bari Imam, who have already been forcibly evicted from their homes.

AWP leaders Zeeshan Ahmed, Alia Amirali and Aasim Sajjad, in a statement, said that the party stands in solidarity with the Christian-majority settlements of Rimsha Colony in H-9, Allama Iqbal Colony in G-7 and Miskeen Musharraf Colony in G-8, all of which, they said, were now being targeted in the CDA`s so-called `anti-encroachment` drive.

They also noted the specific case of Rimsha Colony, which was settled by the CDA itself in 2012 and is now home to about 25,000 people who, they said, were now all deemed expendable.

The AWP leaders noted that summary evictions were grave violations of the basic constitutional right to housing, which, they said, was validated by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in aconstitutional petition filed by the AWP in 2015. The court instituted a stay order outlawing the demolition of any katchi abadi unless residents are provided adequate resettlement options.

Meanwhile, speaking to Dawn, a CDA officer said that these slums were illegal and set up on encroached land.

The officer denied that residents had any documents or agreement.

`As far as Shapar Colony is concerned, this illegal slum was set up in G-7 Markaz, between Khadda Market and Sitara Market, after encroaching upon state land. Many dwellers are running junkyard businesses and other commercial activities as well, he said.

The officer said Rimsha Colony is also illegal, and if they have any purported agreement they should share it with the CDA. We will honour it, but as per my knowledge there is no such agreement, the officer said.

Meanwhile, the CDA on Sunday issued a statement on the Shapar Colony issue stating, `In accordance with the Master Plan of Islamabad, the land located adjacent to Khadda Market in Sector G-7 is designated for a public park.However, for a considerable period, this land had been illegally occupied by mechanics associated with auto workshops and residents of the adjoining katchi abadi.During a recent identification drive and detailed survey by the CDA, it came to light that numerous illegal constructions had been created on the said park land, the civic body said.According to the initial assessment, the mechanics had constructed 12 rooms on the park land, which were being used for both residential and commercial purposes. -Kashif Abbasi