16 February 2004	Monday	24 Zilhaj 1424

HYDERABAD, Feb 15: Under the banner of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, People's Party Parliamentarians activists continued their protest for the third consecutive day at district headquarters of interior Sindh on Sunday.

The ARD has launched the one-week protest movement against policies of President Gen Pervez Musharraf. Talking to party activists at a protest camp outside the Hyderabad Press Club, PPP MNA Naveed Qamaruzzaman Shah said the Thal canal was being constructed to irrigate barren lands of 50 generals which would turn Thatta, Hyderabad and Badin districts turn into a desert.

He alleged that the rulers and bureaucracy were involved in illegal acts. He referred to the case of Sui Southern Gas Company employees who were reinstated in service by the Supreme Court but the bureaucracy did not obey the court orders.

Mr Shah said the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had made the country invincible by initiating the nuclear programme but President Musharraf had jeopardized the entire programme.

He said the matter of nuclear scientists should be discussed in parliament to inform the people about the correct situation. The PPP leaders and activists also held a demonstration and staged a sit-in. They raised slogans against Gen Musharraf, Kalabagh dam and Thal canal and in favour of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

SANGHAR: Carrying banners and placards and raising slogans against the president, PPP activists staged a rally and a sit-in outside the press club.

Speaking on the occasion, divisional PPP president Pir Aftab Shah Jilani, district president Altaf Hussain Rind and former MNA Fida Hussain demanded the holding of free election and release of nuclear scientists.

NAWABSHAH: Activists of the PPP, led by taluka president Syed Bagh Ali Shah, staged a sit-in outside the press club after they arrived there in a procession.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Syed Khurshid Shah and MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio demanded the removal of President Musharraf and restoration of a true democracy.

KHAIRPUR: Sindh PPP president Nisar Ahmad Khuhro has accused the president and the government of nuclear proliferation.

He was speaking at the party's hunger strike camp at the Chati Chowk. PML-N activists also participated in the hunger strike. Mr Khuhro said the matter of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was very sensitive and to pardon or not to pardon him was not an issue of President Musharraf alone but of the nation.

He also deplored the usurpation of water and other resources of Sindh and the government's insistence on construction of more water projects on the River Indus. MPAs Nawab Wassan and Dr Mehreen Bhutto, PML-N leader Mumtaz Rind and others also spoke on the occasion.

SHIKARPUR: PPP and PML-N activists continued their token hunger strike against policies of the government and the poor law and order situation. MNAs Shahid Bhutto and Ramesh Lal and others spoke on the occasion.

LARKANA: Hundreds of activists of the PPP converged at a protest camp outside the Jinnahbagh from Ratodero and the Waleed village.

MPA Munwar Ali Abbasi led a big procession that originated from the Waleed village. After marching through main roads of the city, the protesters staged a sit-in at the Royal Chowk for one hour.

Another procession arrived at the camp from Ratodero in the lead of Ratodero taluka PPP president Ghulam Mustafa Agaham. Speaking on the occasion, MPA Abasi, PPP central council member Jamil Soomro, MNA Anwar Bhutto and other party leaders lashed out at the government for what they called its failed economic policy and poor law and order.

They held army generals responsible for the crisis. The leaders also spoke against construction of the Thal canal.

MIRPURKHAS: Speaking at a protest camp, legislators of the PPP accused the government of destroying institutions of the country through its policies.

MNAs Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani and Syed Qurban Ali Shah and MPAs Hussain Shah and Shamim Ara Panhwar said the government had failed to maintain law and order. They criticized the rulers for conducting debriefing of nuclear scientists under the US pressure.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Activists of the PPP and the PML-N observed a token hunger strike.

Mr Khuhro and MNA Dr Azra Pechuho also joined the camp set up on the National Highway near the Naushahro Feroze town.