July 07, 2008	Monday	Rajab 3, 1429

HYDERABAD, July 6: United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has appealed to the government to allot the Mohatta Palace to the family of Mohammad Aslam Jinnah, the great grandson of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Addressing a news conference at the press club here on Sunday, secretary general of the commission Rana Faizul Hassan, senior vice-chairman Abdur Rehman Baloch and vice-chairman Mohammad Iqbal Alvi said that Aslam Jinnah had been living in a rented house for 40 years and the owner had got the house vacated.

Rana Faizul Hassan said that a patriotic citizen had offered his five-room flat in Karachi’s Shadman area to Aslam Jinnah and his family.

He said he had sent applications to the authorities to provide an official residence to the heir of the Quaid and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and provincial ombudsman had written letters to the authorities concerned to provide accommodation to him.

He regretted that while the heir of the Quaid and his family were shelterless, the land mafia had occupied government and private property everywhere.

He said Quaid-i-Azam guest-houses should be built in the four provinces and the Mohatta Palace should be allotted to the family of Mr Aslam Jinnah. He also demanded that the honorary charge of the Quaid-i-Azam Academy should also be given to Mr Aslam Jinnah.

He warned the government that if proper accommodation was not provided to Mr Aslam Jinnah by Aug 20, his organisation would not only organise protests but would also seek remedy from the court of law.

He said his organisation had been giving performance awards to people since 2006 and had now decided to give 200 Shaheed-e-Jamhooriat Benazir Bhutto Awards.