Bahria town: History behind the protest
What happened yesterday in the protest against Bahria Town was an unfortunate event. Social media is filled with numerous video clips and images of the destruction that was caused by the protestors. However, the demonstrators' level of disruption and unhappiness is irreversible, but the fact that needs attention is that hundreds of people’s assets have been harmed as a result of the protest and nothing can redeem that.
The question now is, Is there anyone who is going to take the responsibility? At the present, almost no one has responded. The tragedy was so unexpected that neither Bahria Town nor the government could have predicted it.
The demonstrators, on the other hand, refused to accept responsibility for the unrest, stating that Bahria Town Karachi. One can see a visible silence from the working bodies involved. Secondly, is destruction the final solution to the long-running disagreement between Bahria Town and the folks who claim ownership of the nooriabad land-based on undiggable facts?
What is the status of the land, and to whom does it belong? This is a topic that the masses should pay close attention to. What is the legal standing of nooriabad land? What was the method of sale? And, most crucially, who will be responsible for the land and the ongoing conflict? People who have put their hard-earned money for investment in Bahria town are demanding an answer? Some people have had to witness their entire life's work being consumed by fire right in front of their eyes. Can the protestors justify burning someone else’s livelihood to save their own? Probably not.
Situations like these are frequently handled by people who are worried about the location, people, and situation as a whole, and no one can be seen taking responsibility at the moment. Residents of Bahria Town are concerned about the event that occurred yesterday and they are rightfully worried. Karachi has an extensive history of violence, residents of Bahria choose to leave that life behind and now they are facing misery again. The Resident’s fundamental question is: What is the current state of affairs for everyone? In what direction is this scenario heading? What is the government's position in this crisis? However, there is currently no accurate response to any of these questions.
We've attempted to explain what happened yesterday and what aspect created the entire scenario in this article:
History: What factors resulted in protest
According to sources, Bahria Town Karachi was planning to launch Phase 2 a few miles away from Phase 1 (on property owned by Nooriabad villagers). Bahria also claims to have purchased the land from the Sindh government. Further, they added that when we first visited in April for construction purposes, we noticed that the area had minor encroachments by villagers. When we requested the people to clear the area, they began rioting, and the conflict began from there.
Villager's point of view
On the contrary, villagers claim that the land is theirs and they have been living in that land for as long as they can remember. The land belongs to them and they have ancestral linkage to this land and they are not ready to make any sort of adjustments with Bahria Town, neither they want any sort of alternative land in return. Moreover, the Sindh Government has no right over the land whatsoever and they cannot sell the land in any case to anyone.
As per sources, the Sindh Government is of the stance that Bahria Town does have the legal rights to the land, and therefore, they are allowed to move further with their plan.
Conclusions:
According to property investors, the man who owned the showroom was a common person, the office that was set on fire belonged to a private builder, and the ATM belonged to private investors. If the villagers' assertions are true, the Sindh government should be the one to be held responsible. Why did the protestors never approach the government? They could have gone to the CM's house, made a complaint, and then proceeded properly. However, they have never done so, implying that they, too, will not be arriving with clean hands. However, the experts in the property business believe that it is high time for the Sindh government to step in and clarify the legal status of this land once and for all. But this, too, does not appear to be forthcoming; no one knows when the story will come to a close because no one wants to accept responsibility.
