December 21, 2003	Sunday	Shawwal 26, 1424

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LARKANA, Dec 20: The Sindh National Front on Saturday rejected police reforms and the district government system, urging the government to wind them up.

This was observed in the meeting of the SNF’s central committee. The meeting, presided over by SNF chairman Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, reviewed the situation in the country.

Participants observed that police reforms and the devolution of power plan had, instead of solving people’s problems, aggravated their miseries.

They held what they termed wrong federal system as being responsible for the country’s ills, saying the present system had done nothing but promote Islamabad’s dictatorship over the rest of the country.

Stressing the need to adopt “genuine devolution of power” proposal floated by the SNF, participants observed that Islamabad should confine its interests to defence, foreign affairs, currency, customs and communications, while the rest of the powers should be handed over to the provinces, subsequently trickling down to the union council level.

The party’s central committee called upon the government to immediately disengage from its policy of being a party to the American designs, especially in connection with the US’ hostility towards the Muslim world.

Describing steps to align the country with the US policies as being harmful, they said these steps were making the country vulnerable to acts of violence and sabotage.

Observing that the exploitation of small provinces, especially Sindh, went unabated, they said the construction of the Thal canal continued and the necessity of Kalabagh dam continued to be trumpeted in total disregard of the interests of the Sindhi, Baloch and Pukhtun peoples, who constitute more than half of the country’s population.

Referring to members of the Sindh cabinet’s call for removal of the province’s chief minister, Mumtaz Bhutto said it made no difference as “zero will replace zero.”