08 February 2004	Sunday	16 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 7: Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar, on Saturday, presided over a high-level meeting at Chief Minister Secretariat, where suggestions and recommendations regarding implementation of Police Order 2002 and Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 were discussed.

Sindh Local Bodies Ordinance was deeply discussed and alterations, recommendations and suggestions were considered in the light of conflicts arising between provincial and district governments.

It is pertinent to note here that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali would discuss both ordinances on Feb 10 in Islamabad.

Authorities to be granted to police under Police Order 2002, maintaining credibility reports of police personnel under local government, national and district public safety commissions, and other issues were brought under discussion.

The meeting decided that the final recommendations would be finalized till Sunday.

Sindh Home Adviser Aftab Shaikh; adviser to the chief minister on local bodies, Wasim Akhtar; chief secretary, Mutawakal Kazi; principal secretary to the chief minister, Bukhshal Khan; IGP Syed Kamal Shah, and others attended the session.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf called on Ali Mohammad Mahar and discussed various affairs on Saturday.

The chief ministers discussed maintenance of law and order in bordering areas of both provinces, resolving inter-provincial problems and those regarding the NFC Award.

Mr Mahar said that a joint strategy was adopted to keep the law and order situation under control in the border areas of both provinces. He said that measures were being taken to apprehend criminals.

He said the provincial governments were deliberating upon a joint strategy to reduce unemployment. He added that industrial development and provision of government jobs would help resolve problems of the masses.

In another meeting, Ali Mohammad Mahar discussed the issues regarding reorganization of Pakistan Muslim League in Sindh with the PML central leader Salim Saifullah Khan.

Mr Saifullah informed the chief minister about the efforts being made to activate the PML in Sindh. He stressed the need for spreading PML's message in every nook and corner of the province.

The chief minister said that a number of personalities were in contact for joining the PML. He claimed that the masses were happy over the policies of provincial government. Moreover, he said that the measures taken by the provincial government for elimination of unemployment were being appreciated.

Various decisions were taken during the meeting and strategy was prepared with regard to reorganization of PML in every taluka and city of the province.

Sindh ministers Mohammad Usman Malkani and Adil Siddiqui and Federal Minister Raza Hayat Hiraj were also present at the meeting.

Later, the Consul-General of Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Musa Hosseini, called upon Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar at the CM House on Saturday evening. The consul-general talked about some important issues regarding Iran.

The chief minister told him about his 11-day foreign tour to London and Dubai. During his tour, he said, he held meetings with various foreign investors and briefed them about the facilities provided regarding investments. -PPI