05 February 2005	Saturday	25 Zilhaj 1425

KARACHI, Feb 4: The Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement has rejected the government policies pertaining to Gwadar mega projects, construction of Kalabagh Dam, handing over of areas under levies in Balochistan to police and the ongoing developments in Sui.

Demanding the government in strongest words to dissuade its policies, Ponam chief Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal also castigated the authorities for "criminal" negligence of famine situation in Pashtoon and Baloch areas and called for paying immediate attention.

Sardar Mengal, who presided over a marathon session of over 13 nationalist parties' alliance on Friday at the Haider Manzil, was briefing newsmen during a tea break at 5pm.

He said talks with the government could not be held at gunpoint as such they had to defuse Sui situation before going to negotiation table to find solution of the issue.

Flanked by all the party heads of the alliance including Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, Sardar Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, Syed Jalala Mehmood Shah, Dr Qadir Magsi, Hameed Asghar Shaheen, Abdul Majeed Kanju, Qamar Bhatti, Gul Muhammad Jakhrani, Maulana Azizullah Boyo and Azhar Jatoi, Ponam chief said that they had decided to back the strike call for Feb 12 in Balochistan which was given by the alliance of four Baloch nationalist parties and Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Aawmi Party against callous attitude of the authorities towards famine drought affected areas and army operation in Balochistan.

"The Ponam has decided to visit all four provinces to mobilize public opinion to block army operation and setting up cantonments in Balochistan", he added and said that a committee was being formed which would chalk out the programme.

Sardar Mengal said that there was a need to amend the Constitution to give autonomy to provinces. Reiterating the Ponam stand, he said that the centres should retain only defence, foreign affairs and currency while all other subjects should be transferred to the provinces.

Besides, the province should contribute to the centre according to their population against the present practice of taking away all revenue generated in the provinces and distributing it to the provinces on the basis of population.

When asked about the outcome of his meetings with PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed and NPP chief Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Mr Mengal said that when Shujaat Hussain asked for his suggestion on resolution of the Sui issue he advised him to contact Nawab Bugti.

"At the time of his meeting, there was no announcement of setting up of cantonments in Balochistan, the matter did not come in their talks," he added. The Ponam chief also mentioned about his meeting with the Secretary of National Security Council, Mr Tariq Aziz, who himself volunteered to make the statement that the government had stopped the work on setting up cantonments in Balochistan.

Sardar Mengal said that as far his information, neither the government had taken back its decision of setting up cantonments in Balochistan nor any meeting had taken place between Nawab Bugti and government representatives.

He said that the Ponam was a political alliance that would adopt all political methods to stop the government from imposing its will against the decision of people.

In this connection, he referred that the elected assemblies of three smaller provinces had adopted unanimous resolutions against the construction of Kalabagh Dam, but President Musharraf in his recent visit to Sindh talked about the dam construction in public gatherings only to show his authority over the will of people.

He said, "Don't expect any action other than political moves from the Ponam." He made it clear that the Ponam was not in a position to take up arms but all efforts would be made to convince the government to accept the will of Seraiki, Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtoon people.