Pakistan: Nationwide Protests erupt against arbitrary rent hikes by Evacuee Trust Property Board

The Evacuee Trust Action Committee (ETAC) is an organization primarily associated with the welfare and rights of the evacuees and their descendants, particularly those who were displaced during the partition of British India in 1947.

This decision was made following consultations with tenant representatives from various cities, who operate businesses in Evacuee Trust properties.

According to a report by The Express Tribune, the protest specifically targets the Evacuee Trust Amendment Ordinance 2006, which mandates an 8 per cent annual rent increase for properties and also grants ETPB officials the discretionary authority to raise rents based on prevailing market rates.

During a meeting held on Monday by the All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, the ordinance was condemned as unjust and punitive.

The report further stated that Atiq Mir, Chairperson of the Union, appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, highlighting the severe injustice faced by tenants. He pointed out that ETPB officials were pressuring tenants by citing a controversial Supreme Court ruling that allows them to set varying rent rates for different areas at their discretion.

Atiq Mir emphasized that following a previous amendment to the Act, rents for Evacuee Trust properties were raised by 30 per cent, and tenants were also hit with an additional fee equivalent to 60 months' rent.

These changes have already led to a significant increase in property rents. Mir warned that under the current law, many tenants would struggle to afford the rent, while corruption within the department would likely escalate. He argued that imposing uniform rent rates on all tenants--regardless of their business sizes or economic status--was untenable.

Mir made it clear that if the arbitrary rent hikes continue, tenants will halt payments and refuse entry to department inspectors in markets. He further warned that if corrective measures were not taken, the protest would spread across the country, with tenants staging a sit-in at Numaish and at the Evacuee Trust Board office.

The meeting was attended by various business and tenant representatives, including Khawaja Khawar Amin, Hanif Ghanchi, Sharif Memon, Anjum Mosani, Farhan Saeed, Syed Sharafat Ali, Saeed Muhammad Ali, Syed Ghalib Hasan, Tayyab Ali, Amin T, Salman Abdul Khaliq, Nadeem Ahmed, Afzal Malik, Zaid Isa, and others. They collectively urged political parties to speak out in support of the tenants' cause.

Atiq Mir also noted that the Department had been implementing the 8 per cent annual rent increase for the past 17 years. He reminded those present that a similar attempt to enforce this controversial ordinance was successfully blocked years ago following a widespread protest by Evacuee Trust property tenants across the country. (ANI)