24 February 2005	Thursday	14 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb 23: The Pakistan People's Party, Sindh chapter, on Wednesday urged superior judiciary to take suo motu notice of the charges of corruption traded between the Sindh chief minister and his former revenue minister , and called for their resignations until the conclusion of a truly independent inquiry.

Addressing a news conference, the Sindh PPP chief Syed Qaim Ali Shah maintained that the imbroglio was not the internal matter of that political party because it involved swindling of the state and private lands worth billions of rupees.

Mr Shah said that because of the incompetence and corruption of the make shift government, Sindh had to suffer losses. To cover that up, he added, some government functionaries would perhaps be penalized.

He warned against hushing up the matter and demanded full fledged, impartial and independent inquiry. He also stressed that the people of Sindh should be informed of the final outcome of the probe.

Mr Shah expressed his astonishment over how the affairs of the province were being managed when those entrusted with the job were indulged in fighting against each other and chasing out each others' supporters.

He expressed concern over mounting unemployment and deteriorating law and order situation, including kidnapping for ransom. He claimed that the writ of the government was not visible anywhere in the province.

He claimed that the government, which had failed in addressing the issues affecting the common man, should step down. He called for free and fair elections under an independent election commission this year.

The PPP leader accused the government of fiddling with zakat fund and claimed that the fund was not being disbursed among the deserving people but was being pocketed by the concerned officials.

He said that the government which had come into power as a result of horse trading had failed to deliver. A genuinely elected government, he said, would be able to steer the country out of the current impasse.

Nafees Siddiqui, Secretary General of the Sindh PPP, claimed that three provinces of the country were in the midst of the raging fire of strife and tension that could seriously undermine integrity of the country. He deplored that PPP leaders were being implicated in false cases by the NAB and concocted evidences were gathered afterwards to penalize them.

On the other hand, he pointed out, the NAB was taking no action against government functionaries despite the fact that evidences of corruption were available against ministers. Mr Siddiqui also pointed out that owing to the federal government's policies, Wana area of the NWFP, as well as the province of Balochistan, was in serious trouble.

He appreciated the stand of the ANP leader, Asfandyar Wali, on evolving a national consensus on certain issues, and said that the ARD would welcome it. The PPP leader stressed the need for a national consensus among liberal democratic forces to counter extremism.

PPP Information Secretary Fahmida Mirza raised the issue of royalty for the oil and gas extracted from Balochistan, and said that her district Badin was still backward despite the fact that oil and gas companies were extracting the valuable resources from that area.

She also raised the issues relating to fishermen community in Badin and other coastal areas of Sindh, the negative impact of the federal government's policy of ignoring Sindh's concern over water situation, and the NFC award.

Balochistan PPP President Fateh Mohammad Hasni said that the province was rapidly drifting towards a civil war due to the government's policy of divide and rule and denying people of their due rights.

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