20 November 2004	Saturday	07 Shawwal 1425

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SUKKUR Nov 9: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA Maulana Asadullah Bhutto has said that the scheduled MMA public meeting in Karachi on November 28 will strengthen the alliance's movement against President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

He urged the president to shed his uniform before the deadline of December 31 in accordance with a commitment made in the government's agreement with the MMA on 17th constitutional amendment.

Speaking at a press conference at the Jamaat Islami's public secretariat here Friday, Mr Bhutto said that the MMA wanted to let the present democratic system continue. However, he made it clear the MMA was ready to loose power in the NWFP and Balochistan and said that the alliance never bothered about power and it would always strive for democratic ideals.

He said that under the Constitution, the president could not retain another office and added that some retired generals had also given the same advice to the president.

Answering a question as to why was the president delaying signing on the dual office bill, Mr Bhutto said that the advice and opinion from relevant quarters that mattered in the power structure was causing the delay.

He painted a bleak picture of law and order in Sindh and elsewhere and cited incidents of kidnappings, murders and atrocities against MMA workers in Kashmor at the behest of Taluka Nazim Abdul Rauf Khoso.

Khoso was being patronized by MNA Saleem Jan Mazari and Sindh Revenue Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Mr Bhutto alleged and demanded a judicial enquiry. He said that 21 false cases had been registered against the MMA workers in Kashmor in a few days, which he termed as pressure tactics to foil the Karachi gathering.

He said that the house of local Ameer of JI Abdul Fateh Khoso was under the siege of armed men and the area presented the view of a war zone while the police were playing the role of silent spectator.

He said that the taluka nazim was a known Patharidar and had been arrested by the then SPs Sanaullah Abbasi and Afzal Malik in the past. The MMA leader said that sometimes ago he had mediated with Mazari on the dispute between two groups of the Khoso tribe and a peace committee had been formed but for some ulterior reasons, a reign of terror had now been let loose against the JI workers belonging to the Khoso tribe.

He said that at the behest of Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, a false case of goat theft had been registered against Mithi JI Ameer Abdul Subhan Samejo. Police action had also been launched against some journalists of Mithi because they had positively reported in the last by-elections, he alleged.

CENTRAL JAIL: The district nazim on Friday visited the central prison-I and went round various barracks and enquired about the welfare of jail inmates. He directed the jail superintendent to provide better facilities to prisoners according to the jail manual.

The nazim handed over two television sets to prisoners of the Juvenile Ward and one pumping machine to the jail superintendent. He announced medicines worth Rs3,000 and 500 disposable syringes for the jail hospital from the district government funds every month.

During his visit, Syed Nasir Shah was informed that one prisoner, Abdul Hafeez, was languishing in jail as he was not able to pay Rs1,000 fine imposed on him. The nazim paid the amount from his pocket and got released the prisoner.

ARRESTED: Two armed men were arrested by the police during a foiled attempt of robbery in Bakhsho Seelaro village near Pano Akil town on Wednesday night. Three armed men entered the village and barged in a house and overpowered the inmates at gunpoint. They tried to rob the households.

On the cries of villagers, the Pano Akil police rushed to the scene and an encounter took place between the police and dacoits after which police managed to arrest two bandits identified as Dadan Korai and Fijo Korai while the third managed to flee. Police said both the dacoits were wanted in several cases of heinous crimes.

SCHEMES: The district government has launched 23 development schemes at an approved cost of Rs122.08811 million under the drought emergency relief assistance programme. Of this amount, Rs109.005301 had been incurred with 95 per cent utilization in road, health and water supply sectors. This was stated by the DCO while giving progress report of development schemes launched under the programme on Thursday.