The government has legalised 62 shops near Sindh Madrassatul Islam, Head of Sindh Madressatul Islam Board shop's committee, Yahya Polani said here on Friday. He reiterated that shops were allotted by the government according to legal maps and described the propaganda against shopkeepers by a vested lobby as false.
Polani termed the statement of Sindh Madrassatul Islam's Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Ali Sheikh regarding shopkeepers as misleading, and said shopkeepers had all the documents to prove legal ownership. He advised vested lobby to stop harassing small traders for its own agenda. Government of Sindh, he said, had nothing to do with the rent of those shops as it was the right of the Committee's Board to collect funds to support Sindh Madrassatul Islam financially.
The shops were handed over to the Committee's Board during former President Ayub Khan's period and the owners retained their legal position in the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. In 1966, Polani said 62 shops were given legal possession. Provincial Law Ministry had endorsed the Sindh Premises Rented Board Ordinance that gave complete autonomy to the Board to collect rent from the shop owners without intervention of any government or its authority. Shopkeepers have all the legal documents relating to tenancy and they are punctual in depositing rent every month on time. Small traders have set up their business to earn livelihood and also provide jobs to many people.