Saida Tanvir describes the impact of Islamabad's demolition drive on her family and neighborhood
Saida Tanvir, a resident of Islamabad, Pakistan, shared her experience of the recent demolition drive that razed hundreds of homes and shops near the Bari Imam shrine. Between December 2025 and April, local authorities demolished much of the neighborhood, displacing approximately 50,000 people.
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Tanvir's son, Azeem Ahmed, died while attempting to block a bulldozer from crushing their roadside grocery store during the winter. While the police did not report any deaths during the clashes between residents and security forces, Tanvir noted that her son hit his head on rocks while being pushed by the police. The demolition drive was reportedly initiated because interior minister Mohsen Naqvi expressed interest in developing the area behind the prime minister's residence. A Capital Development Authority official stated that most of the razed homes belonged to an informal settlement and that residents who lived there before 2005 were compensated. However, a lawyer representing the families, Tanvir Hussain, argued that the decades-old compensation was never properly carried out. The official noted that residents who could not afford the expensive rents of the city were expected to move.