HYDERABAD, Nov 5: Awami Tehrik president Ayaz Latif Palijo has said that the government is loath to spend money on rehabilitating flood-affected people but it has announced establishment of a new city by the name of Zulfiqarabad in Thatta district.

New projects worth billions of rupees had been envisaged for the new city where “outsiders,” a reference to non-Sindhi people, would be settled, said Mr Palijo while talking to party workers at the party office here.

He said that the outsiders' settlement in the new city would speed up the process of conversion of indigenous population into a minority in their own land. Sindhis condemned this decision of the government, he said.

He said that President Asif Ali Zardari had forgotten large-scale devastations caused by floods in Ghouspur, Garhi Khairo, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Jati and his interest in founding Zulfiqarabad remained intact. Priority must be given to rehabilitation of flood-destroyed cities and villages, he said.

He said that Sindh was not an international orphanage where new cities with beautiful names were founded for “outsiders.” STP:

Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has criticised government's lukewarm response towards rehabilitation of flood-affected people who are being subjected to insults and beatings at Nadra centres.

Speaking at the party's central committee meeting here, Mr Magsi alleged that Watan cards were being issued to undeserving people and demanded that each flood-affected family should be given Rs500,000 cash.