12 February 2004	Thursday	20 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 11: Sardar Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, chairman of the Sindh National Front, has deplored that the people of Karachi held aloof and a section of the press even complained about traffic problems while a rally against Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh dam was staged on Tuesday.

"A few hours of traffic congestion is nothing compared to the thirst that will be caused in the city if more dams and canals are made upstream," he said in a statement on Wednesday. The rally was organized by the action committee consisting PPP, JUI-F, Jamaat-i-Islami, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, SNF, ANP, BNP-H and other parties.

Mr Bhutto thanked the participants who came from every corner of Sindh and said that continued manifestation of such a unity could free the province from exploitation and victimization.

"It is now fully established that Sindhi, Baloch and Pashtoon people do not want any more dams and canals and that these are being built only to appease the elite of a particular province," he said, adding that for this reason, Sindhi, Baloch and Pashtoon people should now march to Lahore to appeal to the people of Punjab not to sponsor such acts which were harmful to the smaller provinces. It is the integrity of all the four provinces which makes Pakistan viable, he stressed.

"Pakistan is a multi-nation state and efforts over the past 54 years to change the status has only resulted in the country's dismemberment. Instead of resorting to such futile efforts, much more can be achieved by recognizing the multi-nation character of the country as provided under the Pakistan Resolution so that unity, stability and progress could be achieved," said Mumtaz Bhutto. -PPI