HYDERABAD, Feb 8: Chairman of the Sindh Tarraqi Pasand Party and convener of the Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Oppressed Nations' Movement Dr Qadir Magsi has expressed concern over an assurance of financial assistance for big dams extended by the World Bank to President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he said that the World Bank must know that Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP had rejected big dams, especially the Kalabagh dam, and had serious reservations over big dams from political, economic, environmental and technical point of view. He added that experts of the three provinces also had rejected big dams whereas three provincial assemblies had adopted unanimous resolutions against the Kalabagh dam and other big dams on more than one occasion.

Dr Magsi said that the World Bank should not release funds for the dam project keeping in view the unanimous opinion and reservations of the three provinces.

He further said that due to wrong policies of the president, the country was on the verge of destruction, adding that if the policies continued, Sindh, the NWFP and Balochistan would find it hard to remain part of the federation.

SNP: The Sindh National Party has launched a mass contact movement in Sindh against controversial water projects, including the Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal, and a possible military operation in Balochistan and for autonomy to provinces under the 1940 resolution.

Party spokesman Ashraf Noonari said that on the one hand, rulers were planning anti-Sindh projects like the canal and the dam to render land of Sindh barren and, on the other, cantonments were being set up in Balochistan to intimidate its people under the garb of protection of sensitive installations.

He urged coalition partners of the government, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, to part ways with the government in case a military operation was launched in Balochistan, and said that holding of an all-party conference and threat to quit government was a lip-service aimed at scoring political points.

He said that if the coalition allies were sincere with people of the Balochistan, they must quit government without delay and join the opposition forces in Sindh to launch a practical struggle.

He described bomb blasts in Sindh and Balochistan as a conspiracy against the nationalists and announced that the SNP would hold a public meeting in Sukkur on February 27.