President Asif Ali Zardari has said present democratic government has launched a massive scheme to provide housing, particularly to the low income and working classes. In his message on the World Habitat Day falling on October 5 (today), he said, "The day is an occasion to reiterate our collective responsibility towards improving the future of human habitat."
"For us in Pakistan it is also an occasion to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and on the provision of reasonable shelter to all on the one hand and to improve the habitat on the other," he added.
He said growing population and unplanned urbanisation had contributed to the deterioration of habitat and also strained the capacity to provide shelter to all.
"Mass migration from rural to urban centres in search of jobs and opportunities is a distinguishing feature of our times. This together with increasing population has resulted in climate change, resource depletion, food insecurity, law and order problems and an increase in the number of people living without reasonable shelter," he observed.
The President said the theme for this year's World Habitat Day - Planning Our Urban Future, therefore, was the most relevant in meeting the challenges of inadequate shelter and unplanned urbanisation. "Shelter is a fundamental requirement and a basic right of every citizen.