Naeem Khan, 26, a slum dweller, said though his father and grandfather came from Afghanistan, he was born in the katchi abadi.

“I used to play football along with other children and have many friends in the slum. I never imagined that one day I would have to leave this area. My father is planning to settle at Hattar but it would not be easy for me to live at a new place.”

Ashraf Khan, 43, who came from Afghanistan during the Zia regime, said he had packed all his belongings but was not sure where to go.

“My heart is broken and I don’t want to live in Islamabad anymore. Some of my relatives are in Taxila and Haripur and I may also go to any of these two cities.” Khan said he lived in the slum for over 25 years and used to sell vegetables in the fruit and vegetable market.

Adam Khan, 18, was born in the slum. He was seen selling his bicycle and other belongings to a junkyard man for Rs50 per kilogramme.

“My father says we will leave Islamabad, so I cannot take the bicycle along as we don’t have enough money to pay the fare.”

He said he was born in the slum but his father, who had come from Afghanistan, now wanted to go back to his country.

Eid Mohammad, 12, was also born in the slum but his parents came from Mohmand Agency in the 90s. He said he had a donkey cart and earned his living through it.

“It was easy to go to the market and come back to the slum. My father has decided to move to near Golra railway station but it will become very difficult for me to reach the market from there,” he said.

Nawaz Khan, 50, who came from Mardan 30 years back, said instead of ending poverty the government was trying to eliminate the poor.

“I was living in my own house in the slum but now I will have to pay almost Rs4,000 rent of a room,” he said.

“People are killing their children and committing suicide because of poverty. All doors are closed for me and if I am unable to solve my problems I will also commit suicide,” he said.

Hazrat Gul, 18, said he was born in the slum but his father came from the tribal areas because of enmity. He said he had a stall at the fruit and vegetable market. He said he was considering going to Fatehjang.

“I will come from Fatehjang every day because I cannot leave the stall. My relative living in Fatehjang has proposed that I should construct two rooms for my six-member family beside his house,” he said.

Mohammad Gul, 55, came from Afghanistan in 1979. “I used to live near the bridge of I-10/3 in the 80s but then CDA demolished my house. Then I moved to sector I-11 and lived there for 10 years.” He said 17 years back, he shifted to the greenbelt of H-10 and I-10 and the CDA now demolished the house,” he said.

“There is the land of God all over the country, so I will go somewhere else and life will go on.”