Baloch Yakjehti Committee accuses Pakistani state of land grab in Karachi coastal settlements

Balochistan [Pakistan], May 10 (ANI): The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has strongly condemned what it described as the forced displacement of local Baloch and Sindhi communities from Karachi's historic coastal settlements, accusing the State's armed forces of orchestrating an "organised land grab" under the guise of development.

In a post shared on X, the committee alleged that armed state personnel and influential officials were demolishing homes in Bellyji, Abdul Rahman Goth, and adjoining coastal areas to seize valuable coastal land and marine resources. BYC claimed the settlements, inhabited for generations even before the creation of Pakistan, were being targeted through coercive tactics, fabricated legal cases, and forced evictions.

According to BYC, Abdul Rahman Goth and nearby fishing settlements are among Karachi's oldest coastal communities and hold deep historical and cultural significance for local Baloch residents. The committee alleged that state institutions were attempting to reclassify ancestral lands as government property to legitimise their takeover.

The BYC further accused a senior military officer of illegally leasing disputed land to himself with the alleged support of officials from the Sindh Revenue Department, despite existing restrictions on land leases in the area. It claimed residents resisting eviction had been subjected to intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and violence.

A resident seeking legal protection for ancestral land was instead booked in a "false and fabricated" FIR accusing him of assault, threats, and land grabbing. The committee termed the case an example of "state intimidation," alleging that victims were being portrayed as offenders through misuse of official authority.

BYC linked the ongoing operation to broader urban development projects in Karachi, including the Malir Expressway, which it said had displaced local communities and destroyed agricultural lands in Malir district. It also cited earlier demolitions in the old fishing settlement of Yunusabad, where residents allegedly lost homes, public facilities, and sports grounds during the expansion of a nearby housing scheme.

The BYC demanded an immediate halt to demolition operations in Karachi's coastal settlements, restoration of affected families to their ancestral lands, and compensation for damages. The organisation also appealed to Amnesty International and the United Nations to take notice of the situation. (ANI)

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