KARACHI, May 10: Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development Muhammad Hussain Khan has said the provision of ownership rights to people living in katchi abadis is no favour to them as it is their basic right denied by the previous successive governments.

He said this while speaking at a gathering of lease distribution in Reti Line and issuance of challans in Tekri Colony, both katchi abadis in Clifton.

Sardar Khan, in charge of the PPOC of the MQM, MNA Akhlaq Abdi, MPA Syed Shakir Ali, Director-General of Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority Ali Ahmed and Director of the SKAA Dr Asghar Shaikh were also present.

The minister said elected representatives of people in katchi abadis always made false promises and hollow claims about the provision of lease during every election campaign. As soon as they were elected to the assembly, they only focused on solving their personal problems rather than paying attention to the people’s grievances, he noted.

Muhammad Hussain said elected representatives of the traditional political parties and religious groups always made false promises, especially to hardworking Pakhtuns. They hatched conspiracies to create a gulf between the Urdu-speaking people and the Pakhtuns only to fulfil their nefarious designs to divide and rule, he added.

He said the problem of lease was a result of the negligent attitude of their elected representatives, who for the only reason to remain in power prolonged this basic concern of the Pakhtuns and other linguistic groups.

Mr Hussain said the main cause of the problems was carelessness in casting their votes. They had not used the power of their votes properly, resulting in the worsening of their problems, he added.

The minister announced development schemes worth Rs5 million for Tekri Colony and Reti Line.

Sardar Khan, Akhlaq Abdi, Syed Shakir Ullah, Habib-ur-Rehman Tanoli, Shamsar Alam and Aziz Gul also spoke.-—PPI