HYDERABAD, Nov 14: Office -bearers of the Ladies Club have criticized cancellation of tenancy of the club by the Evacuee Trust Property and demanded restoration of the premises to the club. Speaking at a press conference at the press club here, Ladies Club general secretary Dr Khurshid Memon, vice-president Zaibun Nisa Leghari, treasurer Razia Siddiqui and junior social secretary Qamar Jehan alleged that the ETP was working in collusion with builders’ mafia of the city which wanted to get the land for a commercial plaza.

Dr Memon said the club was established by a Hindu in 1929 and it was registered in 1932 in the name of Naari Sabha. After partition it came under the administrative control of the ETP which did not purchase it. She said that later it was handed over to women for running its affairs.

She said the ETP had accused them of running a school in the club’s premises for commercial gains. She said there was nothing on record that the ETP had funded the club. She said children of poor people studied in the school on nominal fees and if anyone had any doubts that the club management had accumulated money, the club’s bank account could be checked.

She pointed out that the club paid the monthly rent to the ETP regularly.

She said the club was leased out in 2000 to Shelter builders at a monthly rent of Rs60,000.

Later, the club office-bearers and activists of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan held a demonstration outside the sealed door of the club.

They removed boards of the ETP hanged on the wall of the club.

Hearing: A petition, praying the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad bench, to declare that premises of the Ladies Club, Hirabad, does not belong to the Evacuee Trust Property and notices issued by the ETP’s Hyderabad region deputy administrator on Oct 17 and 18 are without lawful authority and of no legal effect, was fixed for preliminary hearing on Tuesday.