The demolitions around Bari Imam and the SEZ legislation are two sides of the same process, on one side, the poor are pushed out to clear space; on the other, public land is transferred to the powerful. It is a redistribution of resources upward. On one hand, settlements around #BariImamShrine #Islamabad, home to communities for generations, are being bulldozed, displacing thousands from their homes, livelihoods, and social networks in the name of reclaiming state lands and rule of law. The very people who helped build the city are now being rendered illegal within it. On the other hand, the state itself is advancing laws like the Special Economic Zones Amendment Act 2026, enabling thousands of acres of public land to be handed over to private developers, often free of cost or on highly concessional terms, while even limiting judicial oversight in the process. This contradiction is not just about policy; it reflects deeper priorities about who the state resources are for, and to whom the law truly applies. It's how powerful groups extract value from state resources without corresponding productive contribution. Such arrangements result in land and opportunities being allocated to already influential actors, while weaker communities are displaced under the guise of legality.