Daily Times

KARACHI: Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Chairman, Mohsin Sheikhani, while condemning the bomb attacks in Lahore, Sehwan, and Peshawar has urged Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, to crush the terrorists with full force for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity in the country.

Addressing the media at ABAD House, Sheikhani prayed for the departed souls of those martyred in cowardly acts of terrorism and for the early recovery of those injured in the blasts.

He believed that there was no option but to crush terrorists with full force immediately, however, for the long-run, a viable strategy to root out terrorism from the face of our loving country needed to be planned. He suggested the government and all stake-holders sit together for the rehabilitation of those people who are part of any terror movement because a person chooses the extreme path of life when he has nothing to lose i.e. any kind of sustainable income and a house to provide a roof for himself and his family.

This is the reason ABAD has, time and again, spoken for the need to regularize Katchi Abadis because such shanty towns become nurseries of crime and criminals. Security agencies are unable to seek out criminals in these slums due to unorganized dwellings and lack of address of any person living in these areas. He added that ABAD has decided to build low cost homes on its own initiative since the government has never paid heed to a number of low cost housing proposals from ABAD.

Sheikhani said that ABAD has chalked out a plan to build 120 square yard houses in just Rs15 lacs with work on the first phase starting very soon.

Expressing anger and grief over the loss of precious lives of innocent people and members of the security forces, he asserted that terrorists are puppets of enemy countries, who do not wish to see Pakistan flourish. H believes that the way to prevent individuals from becoming radicalized ‘puppets’ was by providing them decent housing to live in and earn sufficient sustenance easily.

He urged the government and people to put their hands together to bring lasting peace in the country and show the world that we can do better than any other developed country.