The slum side close to a pleasant area.
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN -- Police, in collaboration with Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), raided the Christian slum in I-9 sector of the capital on September 8, Friday and took some 17 residents of the colony to the I-9 Police Station on charges of stealing electricity. The police kept the booked residents in detention for 6 hours.
Talking to ANS on Saturday, September 9 the residents said that they are forced to steal electricity, saying their numerous requests to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for regularizing their colony have fallen on deaf ears of the authority.
Parvez Masih, 40, Ilyas Masih, 28, Younis Masih 45, Sohan Masih, 65, Boota Masih, 50, Samuel Masih, 27, Fiaz Masih, 18, Amir Saleem, 15, Ashiq Masih, 23, Waris Masih, 50, and Imran Nazar, 21 were among the residents of the Kutchi abadi (slum) detained by the police.
The residents told this correspondent that the police also picked up two people who they said had come from Karachi to visit their relatives in the colony.
They further said that they contacted former Minister Julius Salik who addressed the protest demonstration. Talking to ANS the General Secretary of CDA Employees Union, Chaudhry Yasin said that he had been mounting efforts to get the Isa Nagri Christian colony regularized.
He said it was true that the residents of the colony were indulged in electricity theft but said that life was unimaginable without basic civic and health amenities of which the residents were shorn of.
“I have taken up the matter with the concerned authority and with people in the high places several times and urged them to regularize the colony but the response from the concerned authorities is yet to come”, he said.
When asked why the residents of this and other yet-to-be regularized Christian slums do not move to a colony called Ali Pur Farash, Chaudhry Yasin said that the proposed area was far away from the capital while the residents of the colony do their jobs in the capital.
“How could they make to their places of work at 6 in the morning from Ali Pur Farash. They are busy in sanitation work and beautifying the capital when we are sleeping”, he argued.
The residents of the colony had settled here in 1987 but despite passage of so many years they are condemned to live without electricity, water and gas while right opposite to them stands a posh I-9/1 sector where people are enjoying all the civic and health facilities.
The residents of I-9 Christian colony alleged that the raiding police party entered their houses and also maintained their presence on their roofs.
Ilyas, 28 said that the raiding police team led by Sub-Inspector Asghar Bhatti also used abusive language.
Blasting at the Minister for minorities affairs Mushtaq Victor the residents of the colony said that he had done nothing yet for getting their colony regularized.
“We had invited him last year. He listened to our demands but has not moved to take any action”, they said.
The Christian colony consists of some 250 houses which are ill-planned. Congested streets and ill-planned houses characterize the colony. Heaps of garbage are stacked at the back side of the colony while an uncovered drain runs along with the piled-up garbage.
ANS learnt that the capital Christian colonies which have been regularized by the government include France Colony F-7, Tent Colony G-7/1, 66 Colony, G-8 Colony also called Hansa Colony.
© 2006 ASSIST News Service, used with permission