KARACHI, Sept 25: Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development Mohammad Hussain has said he had ordered the officials concerned to conduct a survey of katchi abadis in Landhi immediately so that the process of regularization of these localities could be initiated.

He was talking to an 11-member delegation of the Pakhtoon-speaking notables of Sherpao Colony, Landhi, which called on him in his office here on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Sardar Khan, the joint in-charge of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Punjabi-Pakhtun Organising Committee, and Dr Asghar Shaikh, Director of the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority.

Mr Hussain said that people living in katchi abadis since the cut off date, i.e. pre-1985 period, had a legitimate right to own their residences in their respective localities. He observed that katchi abadis were populated by the families from the poor and lower-middle class, and said these people had long been deprived of the right to own their houses. He pointed out that all successive governments had kept them on false promises.

The minister said that Pakhtun people also lived in such old settlements but their elected representatives, affiliated with traditional political and religious parties, had never bothered to look into the problems their electorates had been facing.

“Instead, they deliberately attempted to keep the grievances unattended to create a sense of deprivation among them,” he added.

Lauding the role of Pakhtuns, he said Karachiites were now witnessing a development revolution that would transform Karachi into a developed city within a short span of time, adding that roads, flyovers, underpasses, etc being developed by the city government were for the benefit all citizens.—PPI