July 16, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 30, 1428

LARKANA, July 15: The vice-chairman of the Sindh National Front (SNF), Amir Bakhsh Bhutto, on Sunday joined the chorus of allegations that the Sindh government was to blame for breaches in dykes and embankments, which caused widespread damages in Qambar-Shahdadkot and Dadu districts.

He said in a statement to press that the rulers in collusion with bureaucracy had siphoned off millions of rupees funds meant for strengthening dykes and embankments of canals.

The floods caused by breaches in weak and vulnerable dykes had rendered thousands of acres of fertile land uncultivable and millions homeless, who were looking for aid in their make-shift tents erected on the banks of dykes. But the government had failed to look after their needs adequately, he said.

Mr Bhutto claimed that under a pre-planned conspiracy the government was breaching canals and dykes to inundate the lands of its opponents.

The ‘anti-people’ government had failed on all fronts and looked completely hapless with regard to maintenance of law and order in the province, he said.

The government had thrown people in katcha areas before the outlaws by taking back the arms given to them in past to defend themselves against the criminals, he said and added that instead of siding with law-abiding citizens the government had strengthened the criminals.

Now it was up to people to decide the fate of their rulers. Should they continue to rule them under the obtaining conditions or not, he asked.