HYDERABAD, Dec 17: The Sindh Democratic Forum on Wednesday criticised the district government’s move to change names of roads and buildings and saw it as a provocation to Sindhis.

The forum’s convener Abrar Qazi at a news conference strongly criticised a resolution passed by the district council, proposing change in the name of Hyderabad airport to Khursheed Begum airport and termed it ‘unnecessary and mischievous’.

Khursheed Begum was mother of Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussein.

He criticised the district government for not prioritising its development schemes and destroying the beauty of the historic city. The forum believed in sensible prioritisation of projects, strict check on development schemes and maintaining harmony among people, he said.

Mr Qazi said that the district had received Rs10 billion package from Musharraf and Rs1.25 billion from the governor of Sindh in addition to its own funds and direct funding from the centre. Despite this kind of money and an army of sweepers, Hyderabad remained one of the dirtiest cities in the subcontinent, he claimed.

He pointed out that the HDA water lagoon, which had been built at a cost of Rs120 million, developed breach just after 18 months and flooded four villages in its vicinity.

He demanded that an impartial inquiry should be conducted into the breach and work on overhead bridges at Shahbaz and Latif chowk should be stopped immediately.

He urged the Pakistan People’s Party not to over-appease MQM at the cost of Sindhi people who had overwhelmingly voted for the Bhuttos’ party and hailed an interview by Sindh chief minister in which he had indicated that Hyderabad would be restored to its historic limits.

Mr Qazi recalled that the forum had raised voice against division of the historic city into four parts and it had protested when the builder mafia had made an attempt to take over the deputy commissioner’s house, Dialdas Club and the Sindh University’s old campus.