KARACHI, May 8: Sindh Home Adviser Waseem Akhtar has said that Pakhtuns living in Karachi have great contributions towards the progress of Sindh.

Talking to a delegation of Pakhtuns in his office on Tuesday, the adviser said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had a large number of Pakhtuns in its fold and the party had no differences with the people of any community.

However, he said in the greater interest of the city the government would remove all illegal settlements on its land at all costs, no matter which community the settlers belonged to. He said all encroachments on the land allocated for development schemes would be removed.

“Pakhtuns are our brothers and they should not be swayed away by vested interests,” he said adding that they can make demand for their rights as it is the right of every citizen. But, he said, democratic norms would have to be adopted to get rights.

He said Muttahida workers several years back too demanded their rights and gave sacrifices.

The past governments, he said, used to believe in politics of vengeance, but it was not the approach of present rulers. “Testimony to this fact is that today there is no political prisoner in Sindh jails,” he said.—APP