4, April 2005	Monday	25 Safar 1426

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SUKKUR, April 3: Alliance for Restoration of Democracy president Makhdoom Amin Fahim has observed that public meetings and rallies are part of democracy and it is the right of the MMA, but strikes are not in the country’s interest because they affect economy and create problems for people.

He condemned arrests of people during the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal strike and demanded their release.

He was talking to journalists after landing at the Sukkur Airport on Saturday night while on the way from Islamabad. He was on way to Larkana to attend the 26th death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Denying a deal with the government, the People’s Party Parliamentarians chief said his party was ready to hold talks for restoration of democracy and the 1973 Constitution because it believed in dialogues.

Replying to a question, he said dialogues between the ARD and the MMA were continuing but a decision on a joint line of action had not been taken so far.

Mr Fahim said PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari had not met President Gen Pervez Musharraf or any member of his team in Dubai, adding that such reports appearing in some newspapers were a part of a disinformation campaign.

He asked the government to take notice of the price hike because the poor were facing difficulty in meeting their food and other requirements. He also expressed concern over increase in poverty and lawlessness in the country.

Party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he was not in a position to comment on the MMA strike, adding that both the MMA and the government were making different claims about the Saturday strike. He, however, condemned arrests of MMA leaders and workers during the strike.

Answering a question, he said it depended on the government whether to allow assemblies to complete their terms or not.

He avoided commenting on efforts to better relations between Pakistan and India.

INQUIRY: A team of the Pakistan Railways has initiated an inquiry into alleged irregularities committed in appointments in the Sukkur Railways division.

The team, comprising Railways chief engineer Yakoob Ali Zardari, Imtiaz Rizvi and Khaskheli, arrived in Sukkur on Sunday and visited the office of the Railways divisional superintendent. The members seized the record pertaining to the appointments.

State Minister for Railways Ishaq Khakwani during his recent visit to Sukkur had disclosed that irregularities had been committed in appointments in 2003-2004 in the Sukkur division.

KILLED: A boy, Shabbir Ahmad, was killed after being run over by a trailer, coming from Sukkur, on the Mahesaro bypass in Ghotki on Sunday.

The body was taken to the Ghotki Civil Hospital and was handed over to relatives after post-mortem.