HYDERABAD, June 29: The Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy has demanded that President General Pervez Musharraf and the foreign minister should take notice of refusal of visa to Indian lyricist Mr Javed Akhtar by the Pakistan High Commission.

In a joint statement issued here on Wednesday, the president of the forum, Hyderabad chapter, Zafar Ahmed Rajput, general secretary Jalal Ahmed Khan Leghari, Madam Abida Hashmi and Syed Abbas Ali Jafri expressed concern over the visa refusal.

They said exchange of visits of the people like Javed Akhtar would help improve peaceful relations between the two countries. Such people needed encouragement and not discouragement, they said.

SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE: Tando Allahyar District Nazim Dr Raheela Magsi on Wednesday distributed cheques of Rs4 million among 1,287 destitute families as subsistence allowance. Each family was paid Rs3,000-3,500.

Speaking on the occasion, she said, during the next fiscal year, the district government would bear the expenses of the marriages of 3,000 poor girls and would award scholarships to brilliant students.

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