Narrow Paths

 Written by: Samira Haleemzai

In urban areas, most of the houses, markets, and other settlements are built according to the municipality’s plan and all the necessities are taken into consideration but in rural areas and some cities, several people build unplanned houses; they do not look after the width of the lane and they usurp a piece of the land of the lane, and this issue might cause some problems to the residents.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about this issue.

Alhaj Muhammad Naim, a resident of Baghlan province says, “I live in an unplanned area and there is no way for a car.  If we have a patient and want to take her/him to the hospital or a physician, we take the patient in a blanket to the main road.”

Ahmad Shafiq, a resident of Yakatoot, district 9 of Kabul city says, “All houses in our area are built unplanned and there is no way for a car to reach to our homes. The lanes are also unpaved. The rain causes mud and none of us could pass the lane easily.”

What do some people think about leaving narrow paths during building a house?

Ahmad Imran, a resident of Kabul city says, “When someone wants to build a house, they do not care about the problems of others. They prefer to usurp a piece of land of others and joint it with their properties. They do not think that they would also face the same problems that other residents are faced with.”

Samargul, a resident of Qarabagh district, Kabul province says, “Some residents of the area use their power and usurp a piece of the lane and make the lane as narrow and as no car could go in it. The second cause of narrow paths is building unplanned houses and the third cause is disunion among the residents. They do not unite against the usurpers.”

How could some people find a solution to this issue?

Muhmmad Zaman Zadran, a resident of Paktia province says, “Our house is located in a village. Any kind of car could go in the lane but one of the neighbors built a wall in the lane and made the path narrow that no car could enter the lane. My father shared the issue with the elders of the village in the Musjid and they informed the village council of this issue. The council convinced the owner of the house and he rebuilt the wall as it was before.”

 Another resident of Qarabagh district says, “We are also living in a village and unplanned area. Before the lanes were very narrow and we were faced with problems.

The elders of the villages gathered and shared the issue with the village representative, and the representative warned the residents to not usurp the lanes. They accepted and some of them ruined their walls which were the causes of the narrowness of the lanes and rebuilt them inside their properties and left wide lanes and now the residents have no problems regarding this issue.”

Maulavi  Azizullah wiqad says, “In Islamic sharia, making way; giving way and assist in making way is a rewardable work. If someone builds way, he/she would get more rewards from Almighty Allah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says, making the ways narrow is the job of evils and doers of such work, are sinners and it's forbidden in Islam.”