SC Directs LJCP and others to devise housing policy for homeless people

[Salman]

Islamabad: The Supreme Court (SC) has directed Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) and officials concerned to devise an effective housing policy for homeless people.

According to a news source, Abid Hassan Minto and Bilal Minto had filed a petition in the court, claiming that the constitution required the state to provide shelter to those evicted from shantytowns in the Federal Capital. The petition also expressed reservations over the manner the residents of Sector I-11 slum were evicted on July 30.

Mr Tasneem A. Siddiqui, a social activist, told reporters that 30 to 35 percent of Pakistan’s population lived in katchi abadis because the housing schemes established by both private and public sectors did not cater to the housing needs of low-income groups.

Mr. Siddiqui also said that there was a dire need to develop a national housing framework after considering the housing needs of people living in the country.