06 June 2004	Sunday	17 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, June 5: The Pakistan People's Party Sindh meeting in London has decided to launch a protest throughout the province over the water issue and has appointed a committee for coordinating efforts in this regard.

The meeting, presided over by the party chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, took a number of political and organizational decisions. It condemned the doling out of coastal land in Thatta to non-locals and demanded that it should be allotted to the landless peasants.

The meeting noted that Badin provided significant amount of the oil and gas, yet it was getting neither royalty nor employment in its development. The regime's promise to carry out a survey in three months has not been kept. The meeting resolved that the PPP would reverse the 'discriminatory' policies.

The PPP demanded that action should be taken against the corrupt officials who had undermined the tidal link of Badin, resulting in the drowning of three tehsils and causing displacement of 200,000 people.

The meeting expressed concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the country and decided to show solidarity with women, minorities and political prisoners.

Senator Sardar Latif Khosa was appointed co-coordinator with MNA Fauzia Wahab on the issue of human rights to create mass awareness about human rights violations and to take up the issues with relevant national and international bodies.

The meeting also decided to make preparation for the local bodies elections and to immediately start a search for suitable candidates.

Various committees were formed to undertake registration of new voters and detection of bogus votes.

The union council presidents, councillors and ticket holders of local elections were directed to go house to house for this purpose. The meeting decided to set up election cells in every division to update the party electoral situation.

It noted that the talk of change in parliament or wrapping of system was tied to the uniform issue.