20 June 2004	Sunday	01 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

HYDERABAD, June 19: The Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party's central committee at a meeting held here on Friday expressed concern over lawlessness in the province and held the rulers responsible for the prevailing situation.

The meeting was of the opinion that the Sindhi nation had been deprived of its political, economic and administrative rights and the province was being ruled by Islamabad through a "remote control".

The STPP regretted that the majority party in Sindh had been ignored and the province's administration had been handed over to what it called a terrorist organization. The result was that, it added, the province was in the grip of political instability, economic deterioration, lawlessness and terrorism.

It maintained that the situation would not improve till the province was given autonomy.

Discussing federal and Sindh budgets, the meeting observed that the budgets were anti-people.

It said that poor people had not been provided with any relief and important sectors like education, health and social welfare had been ignored. It criticized the huge allocation for defence in the budget.

It said if the rulers did not change their priorities and loot and plunder of resources of the smaller provinces was not stopped by the federation and Punjab, people would continue to commit suicides due to poverty, hunger and unemployment.

Condemning the murder of People's Party Parliamentarians leader Munawar Suharwardy in Karachi on Thursday, the STPP said it was a targeted killing.

The meeting alleged that instead of taking action against terrorists and murderers, the powers were providing them with protection. It believed that unless the terrorists' organization was eliminated, peace could not be restored in Karachi.

It appointed a committee to finalize arrangements for holding the World Sindhi Congress.

It decided that the case of Sindh would be presented at a seminar to be organized by the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement in Islamabad in July.

The meeting demanded release of party leader Gulzar Soomro and all political prisoners.

STPP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi presided over the meeting.

SNC: Sindh National Council leader Punhal Sario has criticized the increase in the provincial budget for police, Rangers and the Frontier Constabulary.

Speaking at a Qasimabad taluka workers' meeting here on Friday, he blamed the poor law and order situation in the province on the rulers.

He expressed the opinion that the reason for failure of successive Sindh governments was not individuals but institutions.

He announced that the party would hold a seminar on June 26 on "Torture-free Sindh" to mark the World Non-violence Day.

Mr Sario said the seminar would not only deliberate on different aspects of violence but also discuss the water issue, budget, constitutional matters and rights of nations as enjoined in the 1940 Pakistan Resolution.