Capital Development Authority Systematically Depriving Islamabad Hawkers Of Livelihood

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced that it is auctioning off stalls in various public places in the federal capital, depriving street hawkers of their livelihood. The licensed stalls of the hawkers were demolished by the corporation two months ago. Rights activists say the auction system would enable corruption apart from snatching livelihood of the poor vendors.

In February, the CDA, Islamabad administration, and police authorities razed several carts licensed under the Ehsaas Rehri Baan Program, that provides livelihood to hundreds of street vendors in the federal capital.

The CDA has announced recently that it is initiating an auction system for stalls in public places in the federal capital.

While talking to Dissent Today, Ehsaas Rehri Baan Program President Rana Shahbaz and human rights activist advocate Imaan Zainab Hazir Mazari expressed reservations over the CDA’s auction system.

Sharing the details of the Ehsaas Rehri Baan Program, advocate Iman Mazari said the program was initiated in 2021 and it enabled street vendors to do their business in the federal capital with licenses and allowed a number of economically-marginalised people to earn their livelihood with dignity.

Multiple stakeholders were involved in the program, including the CDA, Ministry of Poverty Alleviation, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad,and ICT administration among others.

According to the signed MoU, a copy of which is available with Dissent Today, CDA and ICT administrations were meant to facilitate the Ehsaas Rehri Baan Program.

Under the program, the vendors were given licenses to operate in different localities of Islamabad. They were also provided credit facilities through UBank and Apna Bank.

However, on February 2, 2023, CDA, ICT administration, and police authorities launched a massive demolition operation against the hawkers in I-10, without any notice.

‘Our Licenses Weren’t Expired:’

Ehsaas Rehri Baan Program President Rana Shahbaz said that the CDA and police authorities launched an operation at 3am in February, demolishing over 28 carts, without any notice.

“Our licenses were not expired when the authorities demolished the carts,” he added.

During the operation, rehri baan Abdullah passed away due to cardiac arrest.

Following the incident, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety had directed CDA to compensate the family of the vendor who had passed away during the demolition drive.

However, the CDA is yet to give compensation money to his family, as well as other vendors whose carts were illegally demolished, Shahbaz claimed.

Iman Mazari said the damage is estimated to be 1 crore and 10 lac rupees.

‘Depriving People Of Their Livelihood’: 

Iman Mazair said the CDA is in clear violation of human rights as it’s depriving people of their basic right of livelihood, which is guaranteed under the right to profession and trade of the Constitution.

She said the vendors cannot live with dignity since they have been deprived of their other basic rights, including earning and providing for their families.

The lawyer also said this has put the vendors in physical and mental anguish.

She referred to the rehri baan who died of a cardiac arrest and another vendor who is currently in a mental health facility.

‘CDA Halting Program For Personal Interest’:

Rana Shahbaz said the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, one of the stakeholders in the Ehsaas Rehri baan Program, ensured them the program would not shut down. However, the CDA was continuously threatening them even before the demolition drive in February.

Imaan Mazari said the CDA wants to shut down this program because it is regularised and transparent.

“The money directly goes into the national exchequer,” she said.

The CDA is initiating the open auction since it will be less transparent and there would be no checks and balances. The auction would also allow CDA officials to take bribes, she claimed.

She also lamented that the auction is not inclusive since poor vendors could not “even think of participating in the auction”.

Rana Shehbaz shared the same thoughts and said the CDA is depriving poor people of their livelihood because of “personal interests”.

Shehbaz also claimed that CDA has no justification to initiate the auction.

Earlier, Islamabad police had also detained and assaulted veteran leftist activist Ismat Raza Shahjahan along with scores of people for their protest against the CDA over demolition of katchi abadis (informal settlements) which rendered residents homeless. The police later charged Ismat Shahjahan and other protesters with “attempted murder”.

News Desk