City slums: Homes of have-nots, not havens for terrorist

Political activists protest ‘negative’ propaganda against slum dwellers.

ISLAMABAD:

The All-Pakistan Alliance of Katchi Abadis and the Awami Workers Party (AWP) have protested the ongoing propaganda against slum dwellers of the federal capital.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday they said the government was trying to cover up its failure in combating terrorism by labelling the slums as havens for terrorists.

It said that the propaganda against slum dwellers increased markedly in the wake of Monday’s attack on the district courts in Islamabad.

Leaders of the AWP and the alliance said that the only crime of the slum dwellers was that they were poor and had little political voice.

They also pointed out that a large number of slum dwellers were Christians, who have been biggest victims of violence.

The Capital Development Authority and the Islamabad Capital Territory administration have conducted numerous surveys of all katchi abadis and have verified records, they said.

While criticizing the government, they said that it had miserably failed to address the terrorism issue in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2014.