March 19, 2002	Tuesday	Muharram 4, 1423

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HYDERABAD, March 18: The leaders of several political parties, growers and technocrats have lashed out at Punjab and Wapda for withholding water supply to Sindh and opposed the construction of greater Thal canal.

They were speaking at the water and agriculture conference organized by the Awami Tehreek (AT) at Qasimabad here on Sunday night.

The conference, which was attended by thousands of people from all over Sindh, lasted for eight hours and concluded at mid-night.

In his presidential address AT chief Rasool Bux Palejo said that the people of Sindh will not accept the construction of greater Thal canal come hell or high water and added that it was the unanimous opinion of over 30 million people of the province that the canal was an anti-Sindh project and should be shelved without any further delay.

He pointed out that not a single political party or group in Sindh was in favour of the controversial canal therefore the decision to build it should be withdrawn.

He traced the history of the water distribution from 1859 to present day and said that Punjab had always been trying to usurp Sindh’s water share.

He made witty attacks on the rulers and added that the word Pakistan had become a misnomer and it should be changed into Punjabistan. He said that no one should expect any good from the rulers.

Mr Palejo said that for all practical purposes one unit had again been thrust on the country.

He called upon the people of Sindh to unite on one platform and launch a struggle against the excesses.

He said that political power had never been transferred in the real sense as politicians had always remained subservient to armed forces and Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto had also entered the corridors of power through back door.

He rejected the general perception that elections were a panacea for all ills. He said that with elections, the people should continue struggle for the resolution of basic problems confronting Sindh.

About Pakistan Oppressed Nations’ Movement, he claimed that a discussion on water was banned in its meetings.

Pakistan People’s Party leader Moula Bux Chandio stressed the need for unity among the parties of Sindh for launching joint struggle against the Thal canal and other anti-Sindh decisions.

He said if the son of Ziaul Haq was not stopped from taking part in politics then the daughter of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto also had the right to take part in politics.

The president of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, said that the rulers wanted to break Pakistan by constructing the greater Thal canal. He severely criticised the attitude of Punjab.

The others who spoke at the conference included SNP leader Dr Dodo Mehri, Sindh Abadgar Board president Abdul Majeed Nizamani, Prof Mushtaq Mirani, Qaiser Bangali, Qurban Shah, M.H. Panhwar, A.G. Abbasi, Hameed Sindhi, Qamar Shahbaz, Nazeer Memon, and Abrar Kazi.

The conference appointed a committee to be headed by Rasool Bux Palejo to evolve a strategy for launching a joint struggle on the water issue and to prepare the case of Sindh.