KARACHI, Aug 8: The Sindh PPP on Monday rejected construction of any dam downstream Tarbela and warned that those insisting on the construction of Kalabagh Dam despite opposition from three federating units were in fact endangering the country’s integrity.

Through separate news conferences, one addressed by leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and the other by provincial Secretary-General of the party Mr Nafees Siddiqui, the party also complained of continued pre-poll rigging in the form of transfers and postings, kidnappings and victimization.

Mr Khuhro took exception to Gen Musharraf’s remarks during his meeting with editors and journalists of Sindhi media where he had categorically stated that Kalabagh dam would be constructed at all costs and had also asked Sindhi people to change their mindset about the federation, military and Punjab.

He was of the view that Gen Musharraf had not addressed all people of Sindh, but only Sindhis. This, according to Mr Khuhro, had exposed the colonial mentality of those “who are ruling from Islamabad through their proxies.”

He maintained that if the rulers in Islamabad did not consider Sindhis their slaves, they would not have declared that “come what may, Kalabagh Dam will be constructed”. This was declared even when the Sindh Assembly had already adopted several unanimous resolutions against the dam project, he regretted.

The opposition leader said that Gen Musharraf’s remarks that the dam’s design had been changed and no canal from the dam would be constructed to meet the requirements of Punjab had exposed the real intentions of the rulers.

He also questioned the general’s argument that had there been Kalabagh Dam, the flood water would not have gone waste. Mr Khuhro said that continuous flow of water into the sea was also essential for human as well as marine life in the deltaic territory.

Referring to the issue of depletion of reservoir capacity owing to silting of Tarbela and Mangla dams, he said those responsible for this were guilty of criminal negligence, arguing that why timely measures had not been taken to avoid such a situation.

He also accused the government of deliberately wasting time and not building a dam in the north of Tarbela.

Mr Khuhro, claiming that transfers and postings were still taking place, said that if the chief election commissioner could not get his orders implemented, then he should resign.

Earlier, Mr Simon Butt, British Deputy High Commissioner at Islamabad, met Mr Nisar Khuhro in his chambers and exchanged views with him on the prevailing political situation. Mr Khuhro informed the diplomat of the victimization of PPP cadre and the LB candidates supported by the party.

At the other news conference, Mr Nafees Siddiqui said that after the ARD-sponsored APC in Islamabad on August 11, the ARD Sindh had also convened an APC on Aug 13 to highlight manipulations and pre-poll rigging by the government.

He said that all opposition democratic parties and forces were invited to the Aug 13 APC, adding: “We want to fore-warn the ruling constellation against irregularities.”