Millions still without shelter, as world celebrates habitat day: Altaf Shakoor.

Karachi -- Giving poor people food, clothing and shelter has been a popular political slogan in Pakistan for decades, but millions of Pakistan are shelter-less even today when the world is celebrating international habitat day, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here on Monday on the occasion of World Habitat Day.

He said successive governments in Pakistan have only given lip-service to their voters, instead of really working on giving them food, clothing and shelter. He said countless people sleep beneath the open sky. He said still majority of Pakistanis live in Katchi Abadis, slums and shanties. These people live a life that is worse than the life of animals. They are deprived of even basic facilities of clean water and sanitary lines, what to speak of education and healthcare. These people live like homeless people of war-ravaged regions of Kashmir, Palestine, Burma and Syria. He said the constitution of Pakistan makes bound the government to ensure basic facilities for each and every Pakistani citizen, but the rulers only take care of the vested interests of elite class, neglecting mammoth population of poor people.

Altaf Shakoor warned that if the government failed to fulfill its electoral promises and give the poor masses at least basic facilities of life, it would ultimately face the anger of these suppressed people. He said the economic policies of the sitting government have only increased poverty, price hike...