11 February 2005	Friday	01 Muharram 1426

THATTA, Feb 10: The president of the People's Party Parliamentarians, Sindh chapter, and the convenor of the Anti-Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam Action Committee, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has demanded that general election be held instead of wasting the national exchequer on local bodies' election.

Speaking at a public meeting in Daro town on Thursday, he said the local bodies system had failed in solving the problems of people.

He said the government had failed to maintain law and order, reduce poverty and unemployment.

He claimed the rulers were seeking cooperation from Benazir Bhutto to resolve problems of terrorism, sectarianism and tackling the foreign affairs.

Mr Shah said forcible execution of the greater Thal canal and Kalabagh dam were against the wishes of smaller provinces and the projects would prove fatal for the country. He said the government should not take risk to harm the integrity of the country.

He compared the rule of Gen Musharraf with that of Gen Zia and said Gen Zia had rendered irreparable loss the country and the Muslim world by sending Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to gallows.

"Musharraf has proved a worst autocrat because he has made parliament hostage and leadership puppet" he said.

MPA Sassui Palijo, PPP district president Syed Masood Mustafa Shah and MNA Arbab Wazir Memon also spoke on the occasion.

They criticized the district government's performance and said the abuse of authority by the Shirazi group had compelled people to join the PPP. They said the people of Thatta were still loyal to the PPP and the vote bank of the party was intact.

PPP leaders demanded that adequate water be released Kotri downstream to revitalize the coastal belt and protect fertile lands in the coastal area.

Mr Shah also attended luncheon hosted by Dr Altaf Khwaja in Mirpur Bathoro town.

NAZIM: The district peace committee met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of District Nazim Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi and reviewed administrative measures for Moharram.

The meeting was attended by district administrators including the DCO, DPO and Ulema of different schools of thoughts. They appealed to the people to create a brotherly and congenial atmosphere for Ashura.