KARACHI, Jan 1: Occupants of the land granted by the British government in compensation of the properties they had surrendered to facilitate construction of the Native Jetty have expressed their resentment over the issuance of notices by the KPT for payment of rent.

The land currently in their possession is located in Khadda area of Lyari Town. They maintain that they are legal occupants of the properties in their possession and bore no rent liability.

According to them, they properties they had surrendered were also located in Kharadar, Mithadar and Tower.

They also recalled that the British rulers had declared the Khadda area, predominately a fishermen village, a tax free zone because no basic facility was available to its residents.

Criticizing the KPT’s Estate department for demanding rent, they said it had no moral or legal authority to claim the same as they were not ‘tenants’ but legal owners their respective property.