In accordance with the government’s decision, the repatriation of Afghan refugees to their country of origin is underway.
KARACHI:
The house demolition operation in the Afghan settlement of Gulshan-e-Mimar continued for the fifth day. So far, more than 1,200 homes have been bulldozed.
Commenting on this, Anti-Encroachment Director Ameer Fazal Avesi and SHO Zone 1 Shayan Anjum said that the Gulshan-e-Maymar Afghan Refugee Camp covers an area of 215 acres and comprises over 3,200 residential and commercial units. In accordance with the government’s decision, the repatriation of Afghan refugees to their country of origin is underway.
Avesi said houses and buildings built on these lands are demolished to prevent illegal occupation by the land mafia and the lands are reclaimed by the state.
On Sunday, the fifth day of the Afghan camp demolition drive, Anti-Encroachment Force Zone 1, Malir Development Authority (MDA) and district police participated. According to Avesi, this land, worth billions of rupees, belongs to the Malir Development Authority. DSP Manghopir Masroor Ahmed Jatoi said that more than 15,000 Afghan refugees were settled in the Afghan tent city, of which more than 90 percent or around 14,000 Afghan refugees have already returned to their home country Afghanistan. The remaining 800 to 1,000 Afghans will also gradually leave their homes and return to their country. He added that police are taking action against Afghans residing illegally in various areas in accordance with government policy. This operation will continue until the ground is completely clear.
Need to regularize illegal colonies
Welcoming the demolition of illegal Afghan strongholds on the M-9 highway, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor on Sunday demanded that all other illegal settlements in the megacity be either regularized or demolished in accordance with the law.
He said the Afghan Basti was a den of crime and drug trafficking. It is a welcome decision to demolish it. He suggested that the land of the ancient Afghan Basti be used to develop a modern park, as the megacity faces a dire lack of parks, gardens and green spaces.
