April 10, 2002	Wednesday	Muharram 26, 1423

KARACHI, April 9: Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro has said all possible facilities will be provided to the citizens in exercising their voting rights in the presidential referendum.

He was presiding over a meeting at the Governor’s House on Tuesday to review the arrangements for holding of the referendum.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Javed Ashraf Hussain; Principal Secretary Brig Akhter Zamin; Secretary Interior, Brig Mukhtar Ahmed; Secretary Local Bodies, Qamar Zaman; Secretary Information, Shahnaz Hamid; IGP Syed Kamal Shah, and others.

The governor also met Nazims and Naib Nazims of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Dadu, Tharparkar, Thatta, Badin, Nawabshah and Naushahro Feroze.

The meeting was informed that people of Sindh viewed the government’s decision of holding the referendum in high esteem.

The governor said unlike in the past when promises were used to be made only on papers, the present government has taken practical steps for bringing changes in the country.

Mr Soomro said steps taken by the government for the welfare of people of Sindh were unparalleled, which included shifting of Irsa headquarters from Lahore to Islamabad, representation in Irsa, stoppage of release of polluted water in Indus River at Kotri, construction of roads and highways, besides restoration of irrigation system with a cost of ten billion rupees.

He said a coordinated programme was being implemented for provision of basic facilities in the fields of education, health etc.

Mr Soomro said as a result of steps taken by the government for revival of the economy, the investors from within the country and abroad have shown practical interest.

He said resources have been generated for self-employment and Khushhali Bank, Small and Medium Enterprises Bank and Micro-credit facilities have been made available to the people.

REFERENDUM BACKED: Announcing their support for the presidential referendum, hundreds of women representatives from all over Sindh and office-bearers of various non-governmental organizations declared their allegiance to President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday.

At a meeting held in the Governor’s House, the women representatives said the reforms programmes introduced by President Musharraf for the welfare of woman and in getting them a respectful place in the society, besides giving them representation at all levels had no parallel in the history of Pakistan.

“This is the first government after that of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah which has attached so much importance to the welfare of woman,” they said, adding that they wanted continuity of the reforms and the proposed referendum would provide them an opportunity not only to endorse the government’s policies, but also to ensure continuity of the programmes.

Governor Soomro said the wave of progress and prosperity ushered in the country under the leadership of Gen Musharraf would be kept on rolling.

He pointed out that women had an impo