BHITSHAH (Matiari), Feb 26: Nationalist and political leaders of the country on Sunday demanded holding of free and fair elections by an impartial election commission and called on the army to return to the barracks.

These demands were made at a one-day Sindh Qaumi Conference held at the Malkhro ground, Bhitshah. Organised by the Awami Tahreek, the conference was presided over by Rasool Bux Palijo.

Without naming anyone, Mr Palijo came hard on those politicians who were trying to strike a deal with the generals to reach the corridors of power. He said the masses would hold such politicians accountable politically and warned that assemblies elected through bogus elections would not improve the situation in the country, especially Sindh.

He said the solution to present problems lay in the implementation of the 1940 Resolution and return of the army to barracks. He said the present situation could only be defused by recourse to the concept of Mr Jinnah's Pakistan. He said the Sindh province was passing through one of the most critical phases of its history and the people were now becoming aware of the situation.

The opposition leader in the Balochistan Assembly, Mr Kachkol Ali Khan, said that whenever the people of Balochistan had raised their voice for the rights they had been intimidated, but pledged "we will prefer to die instead of surrendering our rights".

Mr Kachkol said that the people of his province were now being called militants and extremists despite the fact they had always suffered injustices and they had always been browbeaten. He said because of the policies of the government, the people of the entire province had risen up and were resisting repressive measures of the government. He said the 1973 Constitution did not provide justice to the people of Balochistan and this document had been the main cause of Balochistan’s exploitation.

MMA Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro said that rights were always taken by force and whenever the people of Sindh decided to start fighting for their rights, they would take the battle to its logical end.

He said since the creation of Pakistan, the three smaller provinces didn't get their shares of development commensurate with their contribution to the national exchequer.

He stated that attempts were being made to auction Sindh and warned the rulers to grant autonomy to all provinces to save the country from the break-up.

PML-N's central information secretary Siddiq ul Farooq said that Kalabagh dam would not be allowed to be built unless there was a consensus on the issue among the four provinces. He said the crisis had been deliberately created by the government to get their favourite people elected in the next elections. He said the MPC being convened by the PML in London would prove to be the last nail in the coffin of present regime.