09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

KARACHI, Jan 8: Members of the city council on Thursday demanded that the Sindh government safeguard the rights of the minorities, particularly Christians.

They expressed apprehensions over the registration of the Youth Men Christian Association (YMCA) by the Sindh Social Welfare Department, despite the existence of an organisation with the same name established in 1913 under the Societies Act 1860, and further endorsed by the Social Welfare Act 1962.

A minority member of the city council, Yousaf Gil, said an organisation with a name of YMCA was registered with the Sindh Social Welfare Department in violation of all the rules and regulations, as an organisation with the same name had been working for the last ninety years.

"An organisation cannot be registered with a name owned by an already existing one unless the previous one is dissolved," he said and added that unscrupulous elements in the Sindh government were behind the scam as they wanted to usurp all expensive lands and property belonging to different Christians associations.

"Members of the Christian community are barred from entering the YMCA premises and armed men threaten the members of grave consequences if they come again," he said.

Kazi Saddaruddin, a council member, said a letter from the Bishop of Canterbury had been received by the government, in which the he had protested against the atrocity.

Earlier minority members wore black arm-bands and displayed posters and banners in the council inscribed with the demand to protect minorities' rights. - APP

Oor reporter adds: Council members belonging to the minorities have said they would launch a protest movement if the YMCA was not restored to its real representatives and if action was not taken against the government officials involved in the matter.

After a sit-in at the Old KMC head Office on M. A. Jinnah Road, councillors Michael Javed, Samuel Nazir, Ishaq Inayat, Anwer Laldin, Irum Afshan, Mangla Sharma, Younus M. Gill, Bieroomal, Younus Khan and others spoke to the protesters.

They pointed out that the YMCA was registered under the Societies Act of 1860, but the vested interests had obtained a new registration of the YMCA from the social welfare department, which was illegal as an organization could not be registered with two government departments separately.

They expressed the feared the YMCA's billions of rupees worth of property would be sold and misappropriated. They said they had written complaints to the authorities many months back regarding the misappropriation, and an inquiry was also carried out which had confirmed that the misappropriation was taking place.

Father Joseph Paul was appointed administrator, but he was not allowed to work and a new administrator was appointed who, they alleged, was involved in misappropriation.

They demanded that the dual registration of the YMCA be cancelled and action be taken against the present administration, the officers of the social welfare department and their real "patrons" who were operating behind the scenes and were the real beneficiaries of the misappropriation.