08 March 2005	Tuesday	26 Muharram 1426

BADIN, March 7: Maqsood Ahmad Chandio, president of the Human Rights and Development Organization, Badin,has expressed disappointment over acquittal of the accused in the Mukhtar Mai case.

Talking to journalists here on Sunday, he described this as a challenge to the society. He maintained that the state authority should be fully utilized to check crimes against women and criminals should not be spared.

He said the acquittal of the five accused in the Meerwala case by the Multan bench of the Lahore High Court had caused disappointment because the government and police had failed to produce sufficient evidence.

Former general manager of the Badin Aurat Foundation Kalsoom Bhurgari criticized the government for its indifference towards violation of women's rights. She observed that lack of interest on the part of officials concerned in resolving women's issues would encourage violence against women.

She demanded that NGOs working for women's rights and the Pakistan Women Lawyers Association should work jointly to end violence against women. She appealed to lawyers not to defend perpetrators of excesses against women.

DISTRICT COUNCIL: The Badin District Council in a unanimously-passed resolution here on Monday demanded safe return of Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.

The resolution was table by Mohammad Essa Mallah. In another resolution, the council called for punishment to culprits involved in a criminal assault on a woman doctor in Sui. The session also criticized the EDO, revenue, for sealing the Dando union council office and seizing its record.

District council convener Mirza Sohail Akbar asked union council nazims to submit development schemes of their respective areas so that the schemes could be undertaken. He said Rs2 million would be spent on construction of veterinary hospitals, basic health centres and repairs of buildings.

He further said two water ponds would be constructed in each union council of the district under the Drought Emergency Relief Assistance-II programme. The council expressed dissatisfaction over ongoing works.

The council was informed that almost all schemes of construction of roads were pending completion for one or the other reason. Golarchi Nazim Malik Akhtar said each union council was allocated Rs800,000 for providing electricity to villages but due to non-cooperation of the Hesco construction wing, no village was provided with power.

ACCIDENT: At least 20 passengers were injured when a speedy coach fell into a ditch after turning turtle on the Jhudho-Badin road near Tando Bago, some 30 kilometres off here, on Sunday.