Concern over proliferation of slums in Islamabad

Islamabad: Unchecked urbanisation and the mushrooming of various housing schemes and residential societies in the surrounds of Islamabad are taking a toll, depriving the federal capital of its green and clean image, experts warn.

According to urban planners and activists for the rights of slum dwellers, after the recent operation launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government against the land mafia, the city stands further exposed and there is an impending housing crisis in the country.

The government needs to move swiftly to address the fundamental problems related with ever-expanding colonies in the city, the experts said.

Speaking at a dialogue on urbanisation Ammar Rashid, a researcher and political organiser of the Awami Workers Party, highlighted the fact that house prices have increased by 134 per cent over the past five years and an even more spectacular increase of 151 per cent has been witnessed in plot prices over the same time period.

He further said during the past five years rents have increased by an astounding 180 per cent, squeezing the incomes of the working and lower middle classes.

According to Jawad Aslam, founder of Ansaar Management Company (AMC) and member of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Housing, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf had not done enough homework before promising to build five million houses over the next five years.

The party should have first understood the sheer complexity of the housing crisis in Pakistan, he said.

Meanwhile the founder of the Khuda Ki Basti (KKB) in Hyderabad, and a renowned activist of incremental housing, Tasneem Siddique said on one hand the country was witnessing the construction of luxurious living apartments and villas while, on the other, housing for the poor had turned into a state of utter devastation, further marginalising the underprivileged.

In Islamabad alone, 20 years ago, there were only 12 slum areas and presently there are more than 42 slums in the city, experts said.

There are three basic means through which the present housing crisis can be resolved, Siddique said suggesting informal colonies like the I-11 katchi abadi of Islamabad.

The other option is the method of incremental housing like Khuda Ki Basti programmes.

He said mortgage could be an option for those who fall in the category of those with income above the threshold of the above two methods, otherwise, there is no urbanisation policy in Pakistan.

According to Aasim Sajjad an activist for the rights of the slum dwellers, The Naya Pakistan Housing Policy contains ideological underpinnings of commodification.

It seems that there is no concrete plan or even an ambition to control the power of real estate agents and speculators, said he adding this is in many ways a question of right to the city and “We have to understand the scale of the crisis and critical engage without urban environment and urbanity. Without moving towards the regularisation of katchi abadis, we are not even remotely close to solving our housing crisis,” said he.