Located 45 km southeast of Nankana Sahib, Syedwala (Old) has been inhabited for centuries. This town, situated on the banks of the Ravi, was submerged by floods seven decades ago, displacing around eight thousand residents.
A few years after the creation of Pakistan, the government decided to resettle these flood victims on government land, two kilometres away from their original location where they had camped. Five thousand people were settled on a hundred acres of land, while the remaining residents left the area.
Thus, ‘New Syedwala’ came into being, which has now evolved into a town committee with more than one lakh population.
A portion of the government land in Syedwala was named ‘Basti Ali Nagar’ by a few families, and they began residing there.
Haji Qaiser, 43 years old, was born and raised in this town.
He mentions that his family has been living here for four generations. However, in 2019, the district administration demolished this settlement, comprising more than a hundred houses, in the name of an anti-encroachment operation. The administration claimed all these houses were constructed by encroaching upon the cemetery’s land.
“On a sweltering afternoon in July 2019, the shelter was taken away from over our heads. Even after four years, we are compelled to dwell in make-shift huts with young children, where fundamental amenities such as water and electricity are lacking.
He says that his family has been residing here since 1952, before the construction of the graveyard. According to the residents, during the operation, the administration and political leaders promised to offer alternative housing to the residents, a commitment that remains unfulfilled to this day.
Sheikh Riaz Ahmad Shahid, a retired teacher residing in Syedwala, states that the new Syedwala record office on Jardanwala Road is in Patwar, but this land has never been officially transferred to the residents.
He says that 32 kanals of land out of these hundred acres were designated for the cemetery during the allotment. A graveyard covers 12 kanals of the land allotted for the cemetery, while the remaining 20 kanals accommodated a settlement comprising about a hundred mud houses, known as ‘Ali Nagar.’
When the settlement was demolished, over eight hundred people were residing there. Despite Haji Qaiser’s claim that the land was allotted to the settlement’s residents, he lacks proof, and the authorities also deny this claim.
Shahid Amin, the patwari of Mauza Syedwala, says that according to records, all the land in the settlement is designated for the cemetery and has never been allotted to anyone.
Assistant Commissioner Nankana, Allah Tawaakul Wattoo, concurs. He informs Lok Sujag that this land originally belonged to the graveyard, and people constructed houses on it at various times. In 2019, an operation took place on this land based on a “public complaint.”
“The district administration had forwarded a case to the revenue board seeking alternative accommodation for these individuals. However, due to various objections, the process could not be finalised.”
However, he did not provide details on the objections.
Shahid Amin says two acres of government land are available near Syedwala police station. Some progress was made regarding allocating this space to the residents of Ali Nagar, but subsequently, there was no further development in this regard.
“A citizen named Aftab acquired the said two acres of land on a five-year lease in 2022. He has also deposited the fixed amount in the treasury.”
The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) alleges that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government targeted their voters and supporters for political revenge, leading to the demolition of the township. In response, PTI denies the allegation and blames PML-N for not providing alternative accommodation to the victims.
Former Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Aslam Khan Kharal was the president of PTI Tehsil Nankana Sahib in 2019. He belongs to Syed Wala. He says that after the operation, the then Deputy Commissioner opened a case to resettle the settlement victims. He also says that the Tehsildar had identified a site near the police station for the new population.
“A list of approximately 96 families was also compiled for allotment. However, this project was cancelled as soon as the government changed. There are still vacant government lands, and these displaced people should be accommodated on them.”
Agha Ali Haider Khan, a resident of Syedwala, was elected as an MPA of PML-N from the same constituency in the last elections. He says that the residents of Ali Nagar were “punished for supporting the PML-N,” While acknowledging the land’s cemetery status, he highlights that people had been residing here for decades. He says the land could be vacated even after providing an alternative place.
“I also raised my voice in the Punjab Assembly against the displacement of the settlement’s residents, but the government ignored their plight. When Hamza Shehbaz Sharif came to Syedwala last month, he promised to provide alternative accommodation to the victims.”
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Regarding the case being dropped in the Board of Revenue, he said that it was just a dream that the former PTI MNA had shown to these poor people. “If such a project had not even started, how could it be ceased by the PMLN?” He promises that his party will give alternative accommodation to these homeless people on a priority basis.
Bushra Bibi has seven children, including three daughters. As a result of the settlement’s demolition, this family also became homeless and had to rent a house. A few months later, Bushra Bibi’s husband, Tahfeez ul Hasan, passed away due to a heart attack. Now, they are facing severe financial difficulties.
Sixty-year-old Manzoor Ahmad was born in Alinagar, grew up there, and got his children married in the same locality. After becoming homeless, he resided in a rented house for five months. However, due to his limited income, affording a monthly rent of Rs5,000 became challenging. Currently, he is living in a hut.
Haji Qaiser mentions that all these people are waiting for the rulers’ promise to be fulfilled. “When will we be provided with an alternative place?” he asks.
Published on 18 Dec 2023