ISLAMABAD: More than a thousand slum-dwellers from across the federal capital gathered outside the National Press Club, to continue the ongoing anti-eviction movement, in the wake of Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) announcement to demolish 12 katchi abadis in and around Islamabad.

The demonstration was addressed by a well-known Christian leader, Julius Salik, along with the president of Awami Workers Party Punjab, Asim Sajjad, Alia Amirali from National Students’ Federation, Mian Aslam of Jamaat-e-Islami and a number of other social and political activists.

The protesters demanded that the CDA should withdraw its announcement and hold dialogues to draw a workable resettlement plan before any eviction.

They marched from National Press Club to D-Chowk and chanted slogans against the CDA.

The eviction operation was originally scheduled to commence on March 24th, but it was put off by the CDA under the pressure of the ongoing protests by the katchi abadi dwellers.

Earlier, the member estate, Shaista Sohail, met with the officials from the interior ministry and was informed that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) feared that the demolition of the slums could cause trouble amidst the already unstable security situation.