March 19, 2026
By Hafiz ullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
In the cramped, humid alleys of the Allama Iqbal Colony (G-7/1), the rhythmic clack-clack of a sewing machine provides a constant soundtrack to the approaching Eid days.
54-year-old Rubina Saleem leans over her work, her eyes fixed on the vibrant fabrics passing under the needle.
Every stitch she completes is meant to bring joy to a neighbour, yet her own hands betray her with a subtle, persistent tremor of anxiety.
Rubina heads a household, living in a settlement that sits in the heart of the capital’s sprawl. Since her husband, Saleem John, passed away four years ago, this house has been the sole anchor for her seven children and their extended families.
They have lived here since 2003, pouring every rupee they ever earned into a structure they hoped would be a permanent legacy.
“We built this from a well”
For Rubina, this house isn’t just a collection of bricks; it is a lifetime of sacrifice.
“We didn’t just build a house; we filled a void,” she says, her voice thick with emotion.
“This land was a deep depression, like a well,” she explains. “We spent hundreds of thousands just to buy soil to level the ground. In total, we have spent nearly 9 million rupees on fixing the roof. Now, my bones ache, I am ill, and I no longer have the strength to work or start over. We built this for our children’s future, but today, we have no peace. If they take this, where will we go?”
The economic divide
The struggle is compounded by a harsh economic reality. One of Rubina’s sons earns a modest 40,000 rupees a month. In a city where inflation has turned basic survival into a luxury, his salary can barely keep the stove lit.
In the current market, the idea of buying land or building a new home elsewhere in the capital is a mathematical impossibility. This isn’t just Rubina’s tragedy; it is the collective nightmare of thousands in Allama Iqbal Colony.
While the rest of the city prepares itself for Eid or Easter, these residents – many of them from the Christian community – are watching the horizon tensely, for the yellow bulldozers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to make their appearance.
The policy of exclusion
Recently, the CDA has ramped up enforcement in G-7, H-9, and near Khadda Market, citing the need to reclaim parklands and uphold the city’s Master Plan. Their stance is clinical: the law is the law, and “illegal” structures must go.
However, the devil is in the details of the CDA’s Urban Regeneration Policy. While the authority plans to upgrade certain settlements, they have drawn a literal line in time: the cut-off – only those residents recorded in the December 31, 2002 survey are eligible for regularisation.
The fallout – because Rubina’s family settled in Allama Iqbal Colony in 2003, missing the deadline by mere months, they are legally invisible. They have been stripped of the ‘right’ to stay despite 20 years of calling this city home.
Even the “safe” aren’t secure
The fear of having their homes being taken away is so pervasive that even those who fall on the right side of the 2002 deadline live in a state of hyper-vigilance. Amir Shehzad, a resident of the nearby “100 Quarters” in F-6, admits that a “registered” status feels like a fragile shield.
“Until we have the physical ownership documents in our hands, the dread remains,” Amir shares. “Every time a CDA vehicle passes by, our hearts sink. We can’t truly say we belong here until the paperwork proves it.”
The human cost of ‘progress’
Human rights advocates including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) are now challenging the state’s approach. They argue that the people who maintain the city’s hygiene, serve its homes, and fuel its informal economy, deserve more than a summary eviction.
Their demand is simple: no displacement without meaningful consultation and a viable, dignified alternative.
As Rubina finishes another dress for the holiday, the irony is stark. She is dressing the people of this city for its most joyous day, while her own home built brick by brick from nothing, stands on the brink of being levelled once again.
Islamabad is growing, its skyline reaching higher every year. But the question remains: is there room in this “City of the Future” for the people who helped build its past?
Immediate halting urged
Meanwhile Archbishop Dr Joseph Arshad called for an immediate stop to operations against informal settlements and urged for a dignified rehabilitation of the affected families.
Dr Joseph Arshad called for an immediate halt to ongoing actions against informal settlements (katchi abadis) in the federal capital. He said that displacing thousands of families who have been living in these areas for decades, without providing alternative housing and a clear policy framework, could lead to a serious humanitarian crisis. He urged the government and relevant institutions to suspend all eviction operations and develop a fair and sustainable solution in consultation with the affected communities.
He noted that recent developments have created fear, anxiety, and psychological distress among residents of these settlements. “These families have lived here for years and have significantly contributed to the social and economic fabric of the capital,” he said.
Emphasizing that the right to shelter is a fundamental human right, he stated that no citizen should be rendered homeless without due legal process, respect for human dignity, and provision of adequate alternative housing.
Archbishop Joseph Arshad said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Government of Pakistan to immediately stop all eviction drives until a comprehensive, just, and permanent solution is devised in consultation with the affected communities.
He further stressed the need for full implementation of the 2015 directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding the protection and rehabilitation of katchi abadi residents. He said that any development or urban planning initiative must prioritize human dignity, social justice, and the protection of vulnerable segments of society.
The Archbishop warned that actions exacerbating the hardships of marginalized communities could lead to social unrest, particularly at a time when the country needs unity, compassion, and stability.
He urged policymakers to formulate a comprehensive and long-term policy framework ensuring legal recognition of long-established settlements where applicable, provision of adequate alternative housing prior to any relocation, inclusion of community representatives in decision-making processes, and protection of minorities and vulnerable groups from discrimination and forced evictions.
Concluding his statement, Archbishop Joseph Arshad expressed full solidarity with the affected families and called upon civil society, religious leaders, and government institutions to work collectively towards building a just, inclusive, and peaceful society.
“Let us choose dialogue over displacement, justice over expediency, and humanity over indifference,” he said.