WE write regarding the report (August 17) on the Pakistan Independence Day celebration in Bury Town Hall.

Along with a lot of Pakistanis living in Bury, we were ashamed of the childish and totally unacceptable behaviour of these so-called leaders, who actually are self-appointed and do not represent the local Pakistani population.

What also worries local Pakistanis is the role that Bury Council and in particular, the mayor, played in all this.

First of all, there was no need to undertake such a cosmetic, publicity-seeking exercise. Pakistanis living in Bury are not interested in involving local politicians in the politics of their country of origin. They would instead prefer the council to address more pertinent issues, such as unemployment, three times higher than the white population, overcrowding, filthy living conditions, and unswept streets etc. After all, we pay our council tax just like everyone else.

If the council wanted to celebrate Pakistan Day at all, it should have invited all local Pakistani people, rather than hand-picked individuals who are interested only in settling old scores. It is a commonly held view among the local Pakistani population that Bury Council intentionally promotes and practises a "divide and rule" policy. For years it has played a shameful part in dividing this community by funding a dysfunctional and ineffective Racial Equality Council.

It has been made abundantly clear to the local authority leader and the chief executive that BREC is a significant source of disharmony and in-fighting in Bury, and if the council has any sympathy for the Pakistani population it must withdraw its funding and spend that money in creating jobs and training positions for unemployed youngsters. Why is it that Bury Council employs less than one per cent of Asians and Pakistanis?

These are the real issues that Pakistani people are interested in, not the in-fighting and factionalism which this council seems to be promoting.

As for these so-called leaders, our message to them is that the Pakistani community has never elected them, they do not accept them as their leaders, and they should stop making fools of themselves. Also, they should not be turning Pakistan and its people into a laughing stock.

RAJA ASGHAR KHAN,

HAJU GHULAM RASOOL,

MOHAMMAD AKRAM,

ALI HAIDER,

Jinnah Centre, Alfred Street, Bury.