January 15, 2006	Sunday	Zilhaj 14, 1426

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NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, Jan 14: Sindh People’s Party Parliamentarians president Syed Qaim Ali Shah has accused President Gen Pervez Musharraf of creating misunderstanding among the people of the provinces. Talking to members of the District Bar Association here on Saturday, he said the president had no power under the constitution to decide the water issue.

He further said that President Gen Musharraf was also not competent to announce the NFC award. He said population alone should not be the basis for distribution of revenue but recovery collection and need of the provinces should also be taken into consideration while distributing resources.

The PPP leader regretted that the government had been ignoring his party’s demand for reviving the Council of Common Interests but now the cabinet had decided to revive it. He said the people would not accept its decision on the Kalabagh dam issue because the head of the council would be the prime minister and the president and the prime minister were party to the issue.

He said the people of the country were the actual power and they would not allow construction of the controversial dam. He said the government had taken up the issue of construction of a dam with India on the plea that Pakistan was at the tail-end. He regretted that Sindh was also at the tail-end of the River Indus but the government was insisting on construction of the Kalabagh dam on the river.

He reminded the government that people had rejected the controversial project and they would continue their struggle till it was shelved.

Mr Shah claimed that services of 700,000 employees had been terminated in different government departments during the last five to six years. He said the PPP government had provided jobs to hundreds of thousands of people.

He alleged that the president had no respect for parliament and the judiciary. He said all decisions were being taken by a single person.

He said party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had said that people could only get their rights if they fought for it.

Mr Shah said the people knew that their fundamental rights ensured under the constitution were being violated and, therefore, they would launch a struggle to protect their rights and restore democracy in the country.

He praised lawyers’ efforts for restoration of democracy in the country.

Party MNA Syed Zafar Ali Shah expressed concern over the way the government was being run.

He said there would be no democratic government in the country till the people were allowed to cast their votes without any threat and the results were not engineered.

AT CHIEF: Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo has said Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Altaf Hussain should come out with a clear stand on the Kalabagh dam and Balochistan operation issues.

He was speaking at a gathering at Star Chowk in Kandiaro on Saturday.