KARACHI: Shrinking opportunities especially for daily wage earners amidst prevailing economic slowdown has threatened residents of slums (katchi abadis) with starvation as price hike has made food too expensive for their budget.

“We are left with three options: commit suicide to end the pain of hunger, sell our children or get some direct support from the government,” said a resident of Quaid-e-Azam Colony, off Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

The katchi abadi is home to staunch supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party since the days of its founder Bhutto who rallied masses on the slogan of “roti, kapra aur makan” (bread, clothing and housing).

Hadi Bux, a young Baloch construction worker, has painted front wall of his kacha (mud) house with slogan “Jabtak Suraj Chand Rahega Bhutto Tera Naam Rahega”. He has not received any attention from the party since it came to power after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

“Zardari has forsaken us since he becomes president,” Hadi, the only bread-earner for his 10-member family, said in a sad tone. He said that in case he did not find work for two days due to slowdown in construction activities his family had to face starvation.

His 70-year old father spends his time in preaching Islam and reciting holy Quran.

When asked about his kitchen budget, he said that at times his family had to eat dry bread only. He cannot think of buying meat or pulses when he has no work. Hadi said he could not afford to educate his children, who play all the day in the streets, and only returned home when they were hungry.

He said that he had to rely on charitable services of God-fearing doctors in case anyone of his dependents becomes ill or needs medication. He said because of his poor financial condition, the shopkeepers in the vicinity were not willing to give edibles on credit and even utility connections had already been severed for non-payment of bills.

He did not show any interest when advised to contact the area nazim for enlisting his name for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

Kulsoom, a domestic worker and lives in the same locality, told Dawn that she had to increase her working hours to meet the food bill of her family. She said her husband was a casual worker and his income was not guaranteed and they had to cut their daily intake to feed their four children.

Another resident Haji, who earns Rs8,000 a month, said his entire salary consumed in kitchen budget leaving nothing for other expenditures.

Allah Dewaya, a hotel owner in the area, told Dawn that his sales had plunged by 50 per cent over the last few months as most of customers were daily wage workers and they did not have their meals if they did find any work.

Madad Khan, a construction worker and the only bread-earner for his 8-member family, said that since it was difficult to run the kitchen and other basic needs he had withdrawn his children from the school.

He said that the poor were suffering the most as they not only had to struggle to earn money to feed their children but were forced to buy water also.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board had collected Rs2,200 from the each poor family in the locality on the promise that water would be supplied door-to-door through pipelines laid down in area. However, the pipeline network was completed for last one year, but water has not been release so far.

Manzoor told Dawn that he had sent his three children back to Rahimyar Khan when failed to bear their food bills as he was unable to work being TB patient. His eldest son is presently learning masonry work in the hope of good days.

Residents of the area have to buy flour and oil from a local shop on credit and clear their dues when they get work.

According to a press survey before the current price spiral a family with Rs10,000 income used to eat three meals a day but now it is not possible.