SUKKUR, Feb 1: Leaders of the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement have observed that the 1973 Constitution neither provides autonomy to the provinces nor safeguards their rights.

They stressed the need for electing a fresh legislative assembly to prepare a new constitution in which fair distribution of resources among the provinces was guaranteed.

The Ponam leaders, including Mehmood Khan Achakzai (Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party), Dr Qadir Magsi (Sindh Tarraqi Pasand Party), Gul Mohammad Jakhrani (Sindh National Front) and Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah were speaking at public meetings in Kandhkot and Thul on the second leg of their mass-contact campaign on Tuesday.

They accused the Centre of forcibly occupying resources of the small provinces. They opposed any army operation in Balochistan and construction of the Kalabagh dam. They said the River Indus used to flow to its capacity but after construction of the Tarbela Dam, the water flow had reduced to half. Construction of the Kalabagh dam would further aggravate the water situation.

They claimed that President Gen Pervez Musharraf's Sindh visit was aimed at getting support for construction of the dam but there was a curfew-like situation around the venues he was visiting.

They accused the government of trying to take possession of Balochistan resources through the operation. After Balochistan, Sindh would be the next target while an army operation was already going on in the NWFP, they said.

They called upon people to launch a joint struggle for their rights. They demanded immediate withdrawal of armed forces from Balochistan. They said cantonments should not be constructed in the province and the Gwadar project be handed over to the provincial government.