ISLAMABAD: Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Siddiqul Farooq on Monday said courts stay orders were the biggest hurdle to retrieving the government property.

While spealcing at the National Assembly Standing Committee on Less Developed Areas, Mr Farooq said that whenever board takes action against encroachers they get stay orders.

`However, efforts are being made to get the land of the evacuee trust vacated and bring it to beneficial use,` he said.

However, chairman of the committee Mohammad Usman Kakar said there was a need to take more steps for the protection of religious places of minorities.

`The trust has billions of rupees properties, which need to be traced and retrieved. The trust should hire alegaladviser to pursue the pending cases in the courts,` he said.

`Encroachment of a single inchofland ofevacuee trustcannot be tolerated,` Mr Kakar said.

Kalash people During the meeting Senator Samina Abid claimed that the people belonging to Kalash are being forced to change the religion.

`Recently, a girl was forced to change her religion and marry a person. Kalash is a unique civilization and we should play our role to preserve it,` she said.

She also suggested that the members of the committee should visit the Kalash people and address their grievances.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Aminul Hasanat said that forcefully changing the religion was against the teaching of Islam and it could not be tolerated.

Chairman committee said that he will talk to the Chairman Senate for arranging a visit to look into the issues of Kalash people. A Reporter