07 March 2005	Monday	25 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, March 6: PPP's Sindh Council has expressed its full confidence in the leadership of the party's chairperson, Ms Benazir Bhutto, and urged the government to withdraw all 'false cases' registered against her , as well as her spouse Asif Ali Zardari.

At its meeting here on Saturday, the council adopted many resolutions which were released to press on Sunday. It expressed grave concern at the overall situation of the country. "The uncertainty prevailing in the country is the result of the wrong policies pursued by government," it claimed.

One of the resolutions said that Balochistan situation had been turned explosive, and added that by inviting army into the province, the Balochistan cabinet had pitted its population against the military forces which would have serious repercussions.

In another resolution, the council observed that the government's rigid attitude on Kalabagh Dam, Greater Thal Canal and other water reservoirs had brought the country to the verge of destruction. "The rulers are playing with fire by rejecting the unanimous resolutions passed by three assemblies against these projects."

The meeting asked the Sindh government to step down now when Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim and the sacked revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh had exposed each other by trading serious allegations of misappropriation, embezzlement and corruption. It called for a caretaker set up for free fair and transparent elections.

The meeting strongly condemned registration of cases against Mohammad Hasan Jakhro, MPAs Humera Alwani and Sasui Palejo, and other PPP workers in Thatta and urged the government to restrain PPP's opponents in Thatta. It appealed to human rights organizations to take notice of the government's practice of implicating PPP activists and supporters in false cases and subjecting them to harassment.

Through a resolution, the council paid homage to the slain PPP legislator Abdullah Murad and eulogized his services to the party. It criticized the government for not arresting his killers despite the passage of one year.

The meeting also expressed grave concern over the increase in the prices of petroleum products and essential commodities, rising graph of poverty, and lawlessness. It called for an early finalization of the NFC Award, and demanded allocation of due share to smaller provinces from the divisible pool.

The PPP's Sindh Council asked the government to release Orangi Town's Nazim Guddu Bihari, who is behind the bars for the last 22 months and facing various cases registered against him 'on political grounds'.

The meeting was attended by PPP Sindh chief Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Nafees Siddiqui, Manzoor Wassan, Prof N.D. Khan, Rashid Rabbani, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Pir Aftab Shah Jeelani, Dr Fahmida Mirza, Abdul Khaliq Soomro, Abdul Salam Thahim, Murad Ali Shah and several other leaders.-PPI