May 17, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1429

RAWALPINDI, May 16: The Kashmiri refugees living in Auqaf properties left by Hindus in 1947 have threatened to besiege the Parliament House in case the Trustee Department does not withdraw its decision of increasing monthly rent and receiving arrears of the last three years.

The threat was hurled after the refugees were asked by the Auqaf authorities to pay the rent of houses according to market rate and were issued notices for paying arrears of the last three years.

“We will besiege the Parliament House in case we are pressurised to leave the houses. The political parties who came to power by pledging to provide shelter, food and clothes are snatching shelter from us,” said Shargil Mir, chairman of the Action Committee of the residents in these houses. “We have mobilised the residents in this regard and they are all set to show strength in front of the Parliament,” the chairman added.

Over 11,000 units of Hindu properties exist in Rawalpindi accommodating some 30,000 Kashmiri refugees who have built the houses on their own and are paying Rs400 per month to Trustee Department as rent of a 2-marla house.

“Issuing of notices to the residents of these houses have created a panic among them and they are ready to resist their expulsion,” Mr Sharjil said.