HYDERABAD, Nov 2: The Sindh council of Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (Ponam) at a meeting held here the other day expressed the opinion that religious extremism in Pakistan had gained strength due to the wrong policies of successive rulers and the establishment which had used religion to suppress and exploit the oppressed nations.

The meeting observed that from Gen Zia era to the present day, fundamentalism had been patronised by the state as a result of which the massacre of innocent people in mosques, imam bargahs and churches had become a matter of routine rather than exception.

The meeting condemned the carnage in Bahawalpur church in which 17 people were mercilessly gunned down.

It was of the view that unless the rulers abandoned hypocritical policies, gave up the exploitation of the oppressed nations and guaranteed the rights of all on equal basis, religious madness, chaos and anarchy could not be eliminated.

In a resolution, the council expressed grave concern over the influx of Afghan refugees in Sindh and lashed out at the Sindh government for taking no steps in stopping the entry of the Afghan nationals.

It was of the considered opinion if this influx was not stopped, it will endanger peace and create political, social and financial chaos in the province leading to more sectarian riots.

The meeting demanded that the entry of Afghan nationals into Sindh should be immediately stopped and their movement should be restricted within the camps which should be step up on Pak- Afghan border.

The meeting also demanded that those Afghan nationals who had already entered Sindh, should be shifted to these camps.

It condemned the alleged conspiracy to divide Sindh by appointing a separate Inspector General of Police for Karachi and expelling the Sindhi speaking employees from the provincial capital on the pretext of domicile.

The meeting demanded that the Karachi city government plan should be shelved.

In another resolution, the meeting condemned Punjab’s continued refusal to give Sindh its due share of water and demanded that greater Thal canal project and other such projects should be abandoned.

The meeting severely criticised the low rates of agriculture products and demanded that the support prices of rice, seed cotton (Phutti) and sugarcane should be fixed at Rs300, Rs1,000 and Rs65 per 40 kg respectively.

The president of the Sindh chapter of Ponam, Dr. Qadir Magsi presided over the meeting.

RESEARCH: The vice chancellor, University of Sindh, Mr Mazharul Haq Siddiqui has said that the research work of a scholar must aim at guiding and benefiting the masses.