ISLAMABAD, June 2: Policemen assigned to protect government flats in Islamabad from illegal occupation, have themselves occupied them and are refusing to vacate the apartments.

This was stated by federal Minister for Housing and Works Rahmatullah Kakar in the National Assembly during the question hour.

The minister was asked to comment on reports of allotment of government houses to government employees which were already occupied by some people.

Mr Kakar, who belongs to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), said the policemen were being persuaded by higher officials to vacate the flats.

Earlier, information secretary of Punjab PPP Farzan Raja drew the attention of the minister to complaints that several government houses had been allotted to more than one government employee, resulting in lengthy litigations. She also complained that a number of houses had been occupied by police officials who had foiled estate office’s efforts to vacate them.

The issue of allotment of a large number of houses and government property in various parts of Karachi was also raised.

The minister, however, informed the house that the occupants of the Karachi houses had got ‘eligibility certificates’ which did not give them right to occupy those houses.