KARACHI, Dec 27: Residents of Mubarak village have called for preserving natural boundaries of the village, saying they would not accept any changes in the existing landscape.

They said the village had been demarcated and regularized by the British rulers about 200 years ago. In support of their contention, they produced documents issued to them by the Imperial government from time to time.

However, with the passage of time the boundaries of the village had been extended due to population growth and a land dispute took place between the villagers and a government security agency, claiming the owenership of a portion of the village land.

Mohammad Haroon, an elder of the village, said the dispute had been resolved and the transfer of the land blocked when they approached the offices of the then President and other officials.

He said after a lapse of 20 years, the Sindh Revenue Department and Pakistan Navy had started another demarcation and invited suggestions from the villagers for the resurvey of the Mubarak village land.

Haroon said the villagers had no objection for conducting any fresh survey of the village land, provided it does not exclude the natural assets and old sites from the existing boundaries of the village.

In this regard, he demanded that the part of the graveyard site which had been in possession of the government security agency must be handed over to the villagers through a proper demarcation and present site of the graveyard be extended.

Demanding construction of a make-shift harbour for small wooden boats in monsoon season, he suggested that the existing boundries of the village be extended to the proposed harbour site. Simulteneously, he said the existing dam site be included in the village scheme.

He further stated that the villagers had built a pond some 50 years ago for storage of rain-water. This water reservoir, he insisted, should also be included in the village.

Mubarak village is located at the Sindh-Balochistan coastal border in the jurisdication of Keamari Town. Comprising a population of 10,000, the village has a scenic beauty for the attraction of tourists and investors.