September 5th, 2020
By Sher-e-Azam
KARACHI
Residents of a posh locality in Karachi were further irked after cases were filed against them at a local police station for holding a protest demonstration that became slightly unruly.
The cases were filed against 30 protesters following the rare demonstration outside the office of the Clifton Cantonment Board (CBC).
In the protest held on Monday, residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) staged a sit-in and chanted slogans against the administration for the authority’s failure to clear knee-deep rainwater from residential areas following record rains in the metropolitan.
The residents vented their anger and frustration over the board’s utter negligence in opening up choked drains that caused flooding. They spoke of lack of stormwater drains in the locality which caused many houses to be inundated with rainwater.
In return, though, the protesting people were not met with understanding or empathy, instead, the public accused the administration of taking their anger out over their protest, and doing nothing to clear the locality of dirty stagnant rainwater despite the fact that a week had already passed after the rains.
The board officials in their complaint lodged with Darakhshan police station accused the protesters of forced entry into the board’s premises by breaking down the front gate.
According to the police complaint, the demonstrators were charged with clashing with security personnel and ransacking the premises. The complaint read that the protesters had harassed board officials as well.
CBC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Saleem Hassan Wattoo and the Darakhshan police SHO refused to comment on the details of the case despite repeated attempts made by Voicepk.net.
The demonstration has not changed the situation in many localities where residents still complain of stagnant rainwater on streets, disrupting businesses, and civic life.
Shopkeeper ‘Munna Bhai’ says that for five days no help came in draining out rainwater from his shop. Another resident, Shayaan, says people have not even been able to go to mosques due to stagnant and dirty rainwater on the streets.
He accuses the board administration of sheer negligence in draining out rainwater from residential areas. He says holding of a protest is a basic right of citizens, adding that the administration has gone overboard in registering cases against demonstrators. The residents say the board collects millions of rupees from residents in taxes but laid faulty sewer lines that have caused rainwater to flood into houses, submerge cars and shops, damaging property worth millions of rupees.
Residents of a posh locality in Karachi were further irked after cases were filed against them at a local police station for holding a protest demonstration that became slightly unruly.
The cases were filed against 30 protesters following the rare demonstration outside the office of the Clifton Cantonment Board (CBC).
In the protest held on Monday, residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) staged a sit-in and chanted slogans against the administration for the authority’s failure to clear knee-deep rainwater from residential areas following record rains in the metropolitan.
The residents vented their anger and frustration over the board’s utter negligence in opening up choked drains that caused flooding. They spoke of lack of stormwater drains in the locality which caused many houses to be inundated with rainwater.
In return, though, the protesting people were not met with understanding or empathy, instead, the public accused the administration of taking their anger out over their protest, and doing nothing to clear the locality of dirty stagnant rainwater despite the fact that a week had already passed after the rains.
The board officials in their complaint lodged with Darakhshan police station accused the protesters of forced entry into the board’s premises by breaking down the front gate.
According to the police complaint, the demonstrators were charged with clashing with security personnel and ransacking the premises. The complaint read that the protesters had harassed board officials as well.
CBC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Saleem Hassan Wattoo and the Darakhshan police SHO refused to comment on the details of the case despite repeated attempts made by Voicepk.net.
The demonstration has not changed the situation in many localities where residents still complain of stagnant rainwater on streets, disrupting businesses, and civic life.
Shopkeeper ‘Munna Bhai’ says that for five days no help came in draining out rainwater from his shop. Another resident, Shayaan, says people have not even been able to go to mosques due to stagnant and dirty rainwater on the streets.
He accuses the board administration of sheer negligence in draining out rainwater from residential areas. He says holding of a protest is a basic right of citizens, adding that the administration has gone overboard in registering cases against demonstrators. The residents say the board collects millions of rupees from residents in taxes, but laid faulty sewer lines that have caused rainwater to flood into houses, submerge cars and shops, damaging property worth millions of rupees.
