HYDERABAD, Feb 5: Sindh Communication and Works Minister Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashidi has called for a political solution to the Balochistan issue and said the provincial leadership must be taken into confidence before any decision.

Talking to journalists at the residence of Chaudhry Saifullah here on Saturday, he said in absence of a strong leadership such incidents do occur.

He said correct decisions should be taken in the larger interest of the country while resolving the issue.

Mr Rashidi said activists of the Pakistan Muslim League were not against the government but their complaints were in fact against the present system which needed to be improved.

He further said in a coalition government such situations were normally witnessed as coalition partners usually had different opinions.

He said lawlessness in Sindh had increased during the Gen Zia-ul-Haq regime and added that unemployment was the main reason for lawlessness.

The minister said his party would contest the local bodies' elections under its own banner but alliance with any party could not be ruled out.

About the Kalabagh dam, he said people should wait for findings of parliament's technical committee on the issue. He, however, said a carryover dam could be built for storage of water because water needs would increase with the passage of time.

Earlier, speaking at a gathering of people, he said some opportunists had managed to grab important posts of the PML although they had not been workers of the party. He observed that his father, Pir Sahab Pagara, was not interested in any post of the party. He said workers would be given due respect in the PML-F.

Chaudhry Saifullah, Nawab Rashid, Saira Naseer and others also spoke on the occasion.