17 February 2004	Tuesday	25 Zilhaj 1424

HYDERABAD, Feb 16: Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has said that there is every likelihood that the US will pay $33 billion of foreign loans outstanding against Pakistan with a view to capping the nuclear programme of the country.

He was inaugurating the 12th national congress of the party here on Sunday. Some 321 councillors of the party are attended the congress across Sindh. He said the entire world, including South Asia, was undergoing great changes where new conflicts and friendships were emerging with the passage of each day.

He said the two atomic powers in South Asia were extending a hand of friendship towards each other under the international pressure. He said Pakistan's nuclear programme would become irrelevant following rapprochement between the two foes.

He said the Kashmir issue would also be resolved. He said it was quite clear that within the next two years Pakistan would hand over its nuclear weapons and research laboratory to the US.

He said democracy and federation had never been allowed to function in the country and the establishment had ruled over the country with the sole purpose of protecting the interests of only one province.

He said the establishment had played a pivotal role in determining the constitutional role of the Army by setting up the National Security Council. Mr Magsi said the appointment of governor and handing over the control of Sindh to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was also the decision of the de facto rulers.

He said Ali Mohammad Mahar was the chief minister only in name as 60 per cent of ministries of Sindh had been given to the non-Sindhis.

He said Sindhis had been deprived of power under the existing equation. He said the MQM with the blessings of President Gen Pervez Musharraf was playing its cards in a cunning manner and it was advocating the opening of Khokhrapar route to open the floodgate for their own people.

WORKSHOP: The department of electronic engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, organized a two- day hands-on telecommunication technology workshop in collaboration with the Electtronica Veneta and Inc. EL SPA, Italy.

The hands-on workshop was conducted by Italian scientist, Dr Gianluigi Laganara. The training was mainly focused on areas of telematics, digital communication, LAN, ISDN and microwave communication.

It was attended by telecommunication experts from the NED Karachi, NWFP UET Peshawar, BUITMS Quetta, IITSU and government college university Lahore. Dr A. Q. K. Rajput, vice-chancellor, MUET, spoke at the concluding session of the workshop on Monday.

STRIKE CALLED OFF: Students of the Jinnah Law College and Sindh Law College who had been protesting against the inordinate increase in the college fee outside the press club called off their protest on the 58th day on Monday.

The student leaders, Zulfiqar Awan, Dr Mumtaz Lashari, Nazeer Leghari said since a writ petition had been filed in the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, against the increase of fees, they were calling off their protest.