08 October 2004	Friday	22 Shaban 1425

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KARACHI, Oct 7: The Pakistan Peoples' Party-Parliamentarians has taken strong exception to Sindh chief minister's allegation about the contract of Kalabagh dam construction , and claimed that the project was a part of a conspiracy to dismember the country.

The party's Sindh chief, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who was flanked by MPA Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman and Ghulam Qadir Palijo, told a news conference at his residence on Thursday that water issue was a matter life and death for the people of Sindh. "But it seems that water shortage was being used by the federal and provincial governments to justify execution of controversial projects.

Refuting the chief minister's claim that the PPP-P had ever supported Kalabagh dam, Mr Shah reiterated the party's opposition to the project. Referring to Arbab Rahim's statement that Kalabagh dam was being built and its contract had been awarded to a member of the Palijo family who was associated with the PPP-P.

Mr Shah termed the statement 'a pack of lies'. He claimed that the government had already decided to go ahead with the project. The government had resorted to mudslinging just to divert people's attention.

The senior PPP-P leader pointed out that his party had been raising the dam issue quite frequently and organizing massive protest rallies to force the government to scrap the project. The PPP-P has not changed its principled stand on the issue, he stressed.

"It's the chief minister who has been changing his position. He forgot that the Sindh Assembly has unanimously opposed the Kalabagh dam project. What the government is doing now, is nothing but a sell-out and an act aimed against the people of Sindh."

Mr Shah pointed out that under the 1991 water accord, provinces could build storages for the surplus of their allocated share, but the government was making deliberate attempts to present wrong interpretation of the the 1994 ministerial meeting as 'accord'.

He said the chief minister was trying to victimize the PPP for its act of contesting election on his constituency challenging the thereof. He also flayed the chief minister for passing 'false' and 'misleading' remarks about PPP-P chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto.

He said that there was no question of any deal between the government and his party. Ms Bhutto had come to power with peoples' support and even now, she did not need crutches of someone else, he added.

Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman told newsmen that it appeared that the Sindh government had surrendered on Kalabagh dam and was now looking for excuses. He claimed that a formal announcement about the project would be made in December.

Mr Ghulam Qadir Palijo resented the CM's allegations about dam contract and reiterated that people of Sindh would continue to oppose the Kalabagh dam project as it was against the interests of the province. He did not rule out possibility of legal recourse against the chief minister.