25 April 2004	Sunday	04 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

QUETTA, April 24: Nazims and councillors of the city on Saturday staged a protest demonstration in front of the Balochistan assembly against the separation of Wasa from the city government.

The provincial local government minister advised protestors to talk to the government in this regard, instead of agitating against the issue.

But the opposition in the assembly announced their support to the councillors and Nazims on the issue.

The Nazims and councillors led by Quetta city Nazim Muhammad Rahim Kakar took out a procession from the city government office in groups of two due to imposition of Section 144 and staged a sit-in in front of the assembly holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands.

City Nazim Rahim Kakar told newsmen that some elements in the provincial government were misleading the chief minister on the issue of the Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) to sabotage the new local government system.

But the Minister for Local Government Hafiz Hussain Ahmed Shurudy rebutted these charges.

About Nazims' demand to re-attach Wasa with the district government, Hafiz Shurudy said Wasa was a profitable organization, therefore the Nazims were too much interested in it.

Rahim Kakar stressed that the provincial government should recognize the ordinance 2001 in letter and spirit so that all the 12 departments should be run in principle by the district government.

Opposition leader Kachkol Ali Baloch, National Party leader MPA Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, MPA Shafique Ahmed Khan of the PPP and Jaffar Khan Mandokhel of the PML-Q talked to the protestors at the main gate of the assembly and held out full support to their cause.

They blamed MMA ministers for what they said hijacking of the coalition government to create problems for the Nazims to fail the system. They urged that the provincial government should not interfere in the affairs of the district government.

The opposition members regretted that the district Nazim belonged to the chief minister's party, but the provincial government was least interested in talking to the protestors.

The protesting Nazims waited about an hour for the members of the treasury benches to come out to speak to them, but when none of the minister came, they dispersed peacefully.

Earlier the employees union of the Merck Markers company also staged a demonstration in front of the assembly demanding release of their 118 workers detained. A court has ordered their release.