KARACHI: Senior deputy convenor of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Dr Farooq Sattar, has observed that the people of Landhi and Korangi have announced their decision in favour of Muttahida and after the June 23 bye-elections, a new era of development would begin in these areas. Farooq Sattar, the Muttahida candidate for by-elections on national assembly seat NA-255, stated this while talking to the residents of Landhi and Korangi and the newsmen who accompanied him during his visit to the constituency on Saturday. A large number of people, including women and children, gathered in different parts of Landhi and Korangi and warmly welcomed him. They informed Dr Sattar that previously they were subjected to brutal torture by the terrorists as they had exercised their right of vote in favour of Muttahida during the last elections. Farooq Sattar also visited several houses of Muttahida sympathisers, which were previously occupied by the terrorists who forced the residents of these houses to vacate them. The families of the houses informed the Muttahida leader that recently they returned to their houses after the action taken by the present government against the terrorists. Dr Sattar said that the people of Landhi and Korangi would bring the party in a winning position in the upcoming by-elections and the Muttahida would have 18 seats in the National Assembly. He assured the residents that Muttahida would take make all efforts to provide peace, security and better employment opportunities to them and he would also play his due role in the development of Landhi and Korangi. Talking to newsmen, the Muttahida leader informed that the situation in Landhi and Korangi was improving and after a long time the political activities were being resuming in these areas. He was of the view that after the abolition of no-go areas, and the entry of Muttahida in these areas, the trust of the residents had been restored. He recalled that previously some elements had made a state within the state and had implemented their own laws. But after the October 2002 elections and formation of a new government in centre and province, the process of implementation of state laws was started. He was of the view that in the October 2002 elections, two seats of national and provincial assemblies were snatched from Muttahida as the some quarters did not allow the party to launch its election campaign in these areas. According to him the seat of national assembly fell vacant accidentally and now Muttahida is contesting by-elections from there. He demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold fair and impartial elections on NA 255. Dr Farooq Sattar informed that the government was taking action against the criminals and wanted persons in these areas. He opined that if political people wanted to work in a political manner then we demanded of the government to allow them to work freely and not to restrict their activities. "The action should be restricted to criminal persons only," he stated. The Muttahida leader dispelled the impression that the grant of Rs100 million, allocated by the centre for the betterment and development of previously no-go areas, had any connection with the by-elections in the area. "The grant was allocated much before the announcement of holding of by-elections", he contended.