THE state is waging a one-sided war against the people of Islamabad. To be clear, only against those Islamabadis who have had the misfortune of being born too poor to ascend into the land-grabbing, rent-seeking elite. The Capital Development Authority, and its powerful backers eyeing prime potential real estate, have been on a roll. Nurpur Shahan. Saidpur. Muslim Colony. Allama Iqbal Colony. Rimsha Colony. Nowhere is off the table, and anywhere can become the next gilded nouveau riche dream. The only ones in the way are the wretched of the earth who happen to live there.

The city’s administration and law-enforcement authorities have already reduced thousands of houses and entire markets to rubble — ensuring people lose not just homes, but livelihoods as well. Anyone who has resisted has been arrested; the perpetrators have been awarded state honours. It seems, finally, that the decision to rid Islamabad of its poorer citizens has been taken in earnest.

While mainstream coverage has been dismal, visuals of the carnage have flooded social media. And the jarring juxtaposition against the One Constitution building was not lost on anyone. After a botched attempt at getting those premises vacated, it took the prime minister of the........

© Dawn