Expressing grave concern over the increase in rent up to 800 percent of Evacuee property by the Evacuee Trust Proper Board (ETPB), Central Secretary Finance Pakistan Muslim League (N) Mohammad Pervaiz Malik MNA, has asked the government to withdraw the increase made in the rent.
Addressing a delegation of affected persons in his office on Thursday, Pervaiz Malik said that there was no justification of increase in the rent after it was raised in January, 2005, for the period of next three years to the extent of 30 percent and nobody was defaulter since then.
The 800 percent increase under the garb of market rates, was not only illegal, but immoral and inhuman.
He said this step amounted to eject the legal tenets and to deprive their shelters, most of whom are poor below the poverty line.
He further said that 96 percent property was residential, occupied by the poor people whose rents have been increased to non-affordable limits in the name of market rates of it five percent commercial property.
Both commercial and residential property has been treated at par, he said adding that it would create a big human disaster and sharp reaction.
Malik said that Hindu property was Trust before the partition for public welfare and the ETPB was formed to control this Trust, again as a Trust for welfare purposes and it cannot do business other than the welfare use of this property.
To say that the Board will generate income to set up universities, hospitals and laboratories for the welfare of the people is ridiculous as this was not its job.
That too will be done at the cost of displacement of thousands of poor people, which is repugnant to welfare activities-rather an economic murder of these people, who cannot afford to secure alternate accommodation.
Moreover, these people are settled in localities since decades and are part of our social and civil society while their ejectment would uproot a generation.