HYDERABAD, June 6: The chief of Awami Tehrik and Sindh Water Committee, Rasool Bux Palejo, has said acting as a representative of Punjab, the government has decided not to intevene into the theft of Sindh’s water share.

Speaking at a news conference here at the press club on Thursday, he said it appears as if the rulers had decided to write off Sindh as they had earlier decided to write off East Pakistan.

He said the government policies were aimed at destroying Sindh economically, culturally and in the field of education, adding the agriculture sector of the province had already been destroyed.

He said in flagrant violation of the constitution of Pakistan, international law, conventions and traditions, water share of Sindh had been withheld.

He said Punjab and functionaries of the government were all the time trying to find out new methods to turn Sindh into a desert. He added on the one hand mischief of greater Thal canal had not been stopped and on the other the dead issue of Kalabagh dam was again being revived.

Palejo pointed out he had met with President Gen Pervez Musharraf on three occasions and each time he had apprised him of “the robbery of Sindh water” by Punjab. He added the president Musharraf had romised he would try his very best to resolve this burning issue in a judicious manner.

He said in this context Wapda chairman Zulfiqar Ali Khan called on him on April 28 and suggested the holding of a workshop on the water dispute on May 28 and 29 to find out a just solution of the crucial issue. He said the Wapda chief also sent the agenda of the workshop and asked for suggestions and proposals.

Palejo said on May 2 suggestions alongwith amendments in the agenda were forwarded to the Wapda chief but he (Palejo) received no reply for ten days and again wrote a letter to the Wapda chairman on May 12.

He said in the meantime the legal formalities about the construction of the Thal canal were completed by using pressure and coercion and he received a letter from Wapda informing him now the project had become legal and it would be completed.

He said it was obvious the greater Thal canal had three objectives- to destroy Sindh, to thrust settlers on the Seraiki people and to give free land and water to the colonels and generals and make them billionaires. “This is criminal misuse of powers”, he asserted.

He pointed out 70 per cent of Thal Desert comprised sand dunes which would be irrigated after further depriving Sindh of its water share.

He deplored President Musharraf had claimed to be Sindhi and announced to eliminate provincial disharmony and grant autonomy to the provinces but in practice he was converting Sindh into a desert and Sindhis into Red Indians.

The nationalist leader called upon the Sindhi people to pick up the reins of their destiny in their own hands and launch a peaceful democratic struggle to take back their usurped rights.

He distributed copies of letters exchanged between him and the Wapda chairman.