08 January 2005	Saturday	26 Ziqa'ad 1425

MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 7: AJK Minister for Rehabilitation, Relief and Evacuee Property Amir Ghaffar Lone expressed resentment over delay in purchase of land for a residential colony for Kashmiri refugees in Karachi, it was learnt here on Friday.

The minister summoned officials from rehabilitation department and sought explanation for what he believes to be an unwarranted delay that had been causing unrest among homeless Kashmiri refugees in Karachi, official sources told Dawn.

Mr Lone, who represents refugees from Kashmir Valley settled in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, warned the officials that he would no more tolerate laxity in this regard, the sources added.

The minister said it was ironical that his electorate in Karachi had been ignored by successive AJK governments, depriving them of a facility that their brethren in other areas of Pakistan had received.

According to sources, rehabilitation of Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan was initiated by the AJK government in 1989 with the launching of a plan to establish 16 residential colonies in different towns. Possession orders of plots were given to refugees in four of those colonies.