KARACHI, May 27: The Loya Jirga Pakhtoon Action Committee has announced a peaceful rally on June 2 from Lasbela Chowk to the Karachi Press Club to protest and draw the attention of the Sindh, city and the federal governments against discrimination, victimization and police highhandedness meted out to Pakhtoons.

Announcing the decision amidst the presence of all 65 members of the jirga, its chairman, Shahi Syed, said that in the rally, residents of katchi abadis, goths, and affected transporters would participate.

Reading out the 11-point charter of demands at the Karachi Press Club the other day along with jirga members, Mr Syed said: “Pakhtoons are a peaceful nation that has been compelled to leave their paradise like valley and live here for want of employment and economic rights. But, he said, that victimization and excesses against them were on the increase now.”

He said that the committee, which was formed by the jirga in its May 14 meeting, held at the Bacha Khan Markaz, would strive for resolving problems being faced by the Pakhtoons in Sindh and Karachi in particular.

These included leasing out of all katchi abadis with basic amenities, and compensation and alternate plots for the affected residents of Juma Goth, Mansehra Colony, Bilal Colony, Sikander Goth, Lasi Goth, Yusuf Goth, Lashari Goth, Allahwali Colony and other razed settlements.

“If the government wants to ban plying of two-stroke rickshaws and 30-year-old vehicles, their owners should be provided compensation and alternate employment,” the jirga said.

The government weighing machine on the Super Highway should be disbanded, as the motorway police was heavily fining overweight vehicles without taking into consideration the increasing prices of fuel, he said.

The bus stops of vehicles operating for the Punjab, interior Sindh, and Balochistan are located in the city centre but only the stops of the buses operating to the NWFP are being removed from the city centre.

The Pakhtoons should be given employment in all government departments on the basis of their population, and obtaining of passports and ID cards should be made simple for them.

The committee also called for making the procedure of PRC and domicile simple for Pakhtoons and lifting of ban on admission of their students in educational institutions.

Mr Syed, reading out the statement, said: “Pakistan is a federation and a multi-ethnic state, and Pakhtoons being one of the important federating units and citizens of this country, have the constitutional right to live, work and carryout business in any part of the country.”

He said in Karachi, every fourth person was a Pakhtoon, who worked in toilsome professions like mills, construction works and transport while they lived in katchi abadis, which were devoid of basic amenities.