05 December 2004	Sunday	22 Shawwal 1425

HYDERABAD, Dec 4: Condemning the obduracy of the government to go ahead with the construction of greater Thal canal and Kalabagh dam, the Sindh Water Committee has warned political leaders and parties of serious consequences.

At its meeting on Friday, the committee warned that if Sindh was pushed against the wall, it would have disastrous effect on the integrity of Pakistan.

Briefing newsmen about the proceedings of the meeting, the president of the SWC, Mr Rasool Bux Palijo, said that the water committee was of the view that anti-Sindh policies of the Musharraf's government and its pro-dam and canal proclivity and injudicious distribution of water would inflict a telling blow on the unity of Pakistan.

He said that the rulers supporting the construction of dams and canals against the will of people would be branded as Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs.

Mr Palijo said the federation and Punjab were treating Sindh as a conquered territory and added that no one but the people of Sindh had the exclusive right to take any decision about their own resources.

He made it clear that the rulers and Punjab would be held responsible for any harm to the unity of the country.

He said that Sindh's view on water and dams issue would be highlighted at the international level.

He said a water conference would be held in Karachi in the current month.

Mr Palijo said all political leaders who believed in justice and fair play, experts and representatives of international organizations would be invited to attend the water conference.

He appealed to all the nationalist groups to continue struggle to protect the rights of Sindh and called upon the people to keep an eye on the government to ensure that they did not deviate from promises they had made to the people of Sindh.

Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Abdul Majeed Nizamani of the Sindh Abadgar Board, Nazeer Memon, ProfessorMushtaq Mirani and others attended the meeting.