THATTA, Nov 11: Sindh People's Doctors Forum chief Dr Karim Khwaja has demanded that the province should be paid royalty for its mineral resources.

Talking to journalists at the press club here on Thursday, he further demanded that priority should be given to local people in recruitment in mining related trades. He said national heritage and lakes should be protected and concrete measures be taken to improve living standards of people of the Khirthar mountainous range.

Dr Khwaja was briefing the journalists after the forum held free medical camps in Makli hills and Jhampir hills in Thatta, Manghopir and Malir hills in Karachi, Karoonjhar in Tharparkar, Ganjo Takar in Hyderabad and Rohri hills in a three-month campaign.

He said the PDF held medical camps in different villages, including Mahal Kohistan, Makli, Thana Ahmad Khan, Thana Bola Khan and Jhampir, and treated 2,850 patients. He said medicines were provided to patients, including those of skin diseases.

Dr Khwaja said inhabitants of the range were living in poor conditions and the areas were without roads, electricity, education and clean drinking water facilities.

He said the Khirthar range was rich in gas, gypsum, oil, limestone, lignite coal, marble and uranium resources and it was the greatest supplier of meat after Thar and riverine belt of the Indus.

He regretted that after discovery of uranium in Khirthar and Lakki mountains in Larkana and Dadu districts, the government issued notices to residents of Raho-jo-Aaathiyo, Shah Godrio and other villages for evacuation.

Dr Khwaja called for establishment of a national park of stone carving at the mouth of the Sita river in the Khirthar range. He also proposed development of the Gorakh Peak for protection of wildlife as well as Manchhar and Hamal lakes, situated in the Khirthar range. He feared that the Right Bank Outfall Drain would destroy the lakes.

He demanded that civic facilities should be provided in the area and people should be advanced loans on easy conditions.