KARACHI, May 7: A large number of tenants staged a demonstration at the Press Club on Tuesday to protest against the increase in rent of evacuee property by the Evacuee Property Trust Board.

Addressing the crowd, Atiq Mir, president of the Association of Tenants of EPTB, said that the board, by increasing the rent of old buildings, has created problems for a large number of tenants, specially widows.

He claimed that the rental value of evacuee properties has now surpassed even those of new and modern properties. The poor people and widows have knocked on each and every door to seek justice, but nobody, including government officials, have paid any heed to their grievances, he added.

The rent was enhanced by the board without any prior notice to the tenants, Atiq Mir said and alleged that the authorities are now threatening to get the property evacuated forcibly.

Atiq Mir further alleged that officials, in the name of regularization, had given occupancy to illegal renters and were violating rules.

The protesters later set ablaze the increased bills and refused to pay the enhanced rent.—PPI