July 05, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 1, 1429

KARACHI, July 4: Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order and socioeconomic conditions in Lyari, prominent community members have made an impassioned appeal to the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to take serious notice of the situation.

They were of the view that the rampant lawlessness in the area, considered to be the stronghold of the PPP in the city, was tarnishing the image of the party.

These views were expressed at a meeting of intellectuals and select group of social personalities held at the Lyari Welfare Centre, Chawkiwara, with Prof Ali Mohammad Shaheen in the chair.

They termed the ongoing gang warfare in parts of the town a perpetual source of concern for the area people who according to them had been made hostage at gunpoint by unscrupulous elements.

The situation had forced a number of old residents of the area to move to safety leaving behind their ancestral properties at the mercy of the gangsters roaming freely in the town, they said.

The speakers deplored that once again Lyari had been neglected in the recently announced budget wherein only Rs73 million were allocated for this underdeveloped area, while the previous government had earmarked Rs79 million, which was later increased to Rs87 million.

They said that the town had become a victim of indifference of the relevant authorities. They identified rampant unemployment, insufficient civic facilities, violence, crime, open sale of narcotics and inadequate health and educational facilities as some of the problems, which needed immediate attention.

Despite the deteriorating law and order, they added, it was strange that Rs6 million had been slashed from the Lyari police budget.

“Surprisingly Rs171.6 million has been earmarked for Clifton Town police, which is considered a peaceful town, while Lyari Town, infested with criminal elements, has been ignored in the allocation of funds for the local police,” they remarked.

Coming to the education sector, they said that there was no regular monitoring and inspection system in the public sector schools and most of those schools were in a bad shape and the quality of education had fallen drastically.

They were of the view that the law-enforcement agencies seemed to be less interested in busting the criminals; instead the police was allegedly patronising the gangsters.

The speakers suggested that Lyari should be given adequate representation in the PPP’s setup and the elected MNAs, MPAs should be involved in addressing the grievances of the people and committees dealing with health, education, employment, crime and civic problems should be formed under the supervision of these elected members.

The meeting was attended by Sher Mohammad Raees, Ghulam Abbas Baloch, Haji Abdul Ghani, Mohammad Yusuf Baloch, Advocate Habibur Rehman, Shabir Baloch, Pir Mohammad Baloch, Advocate Abdul Hakim and Abdul Hafeez Baloch.

The meeting also decided to send a memorandum in this regard to the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party.