KARACHI, Dec 30: Several half-a-century old localities of Liaquatabad, despite having basic civic amenities, have not yet been awarded lease.

Some of these localities are Sikandarabad, Old Gharibabad, Azam Nagar, Rafiqabad, Ikramabad, Faqir Dad Goth, Zahidabad and Mohammadi Colony.

Liaquatabad Town’s Union Council’s (No 5) Nazim, Mohammad Siddik Rathore, who raised the issue of lease of these localities in the City District Government’s Council’s recent session, said that he was unable to understand that why delay was being made to award lease documents to the inhabitants of these and other such kachchi abadis of the city.

He said if these localities were not entitled to have lease, then how come these localities had managed to acquire basic amenities, including gas, telephone and electricity from the concerned civic agencies and utility organisations.

He demanded of the City Government to direct the concerned authorities to expedite the process of awarding lease to the residents of all those old Katchi Abadis where civic amenities were already available.

He also regretted that the residents of a number of other localities, belonging to Federal B’ Area, were also facing hardships, merely because these localities had not yet been included in the city’s municipal limits.