February 08, 2008	Friday	Muharram 29, 1429

SHIKARPUR, Feb 7: The National People’s Party’s candidate for NA-202 Dr Ibrahim Jatoi has said that he will continue to oppose controversial water projects and demand that the National Finance Commission award should be based on income and population.

Dr Jatoi was speaking at “Meet the Candidates Programme” organised by the Indus Resource Centre IRC, an NGO, at the press club.

He said that election of public representatives who believe in supremacy of law after the restoration of real democracy will guarantee people their fundamental human rights.

He emphasised that the government should deal strictly with smuggling of automatic weapons and ammunition, which played a major role in the adverse law and order situation and running tribal feuds in the district.

He assured he would take personal interest in solving tribal disputes and ensure that the villagers had all the civic amenities including electrification, gas supply, link roads, paved street, facilities of health, education, sports and other social welfare services.

Earlier, IRC programme manager Naveed Siyal, Mujahid Bhutto and Zubair Soomro apprised the participants of the activities of NGO.

ACCIDENT: Heavy fog caused a coaster to overturn and fall into a ditch seriously injuring 14 passengers and the driver near Mehboob village in the jurisdiction of Lakhi police station early on Thursday morning.

The injured including Miandad Masih (driver), Atta Mohammad Mahar, Abdul Fatah Mahar, Shabbir Ahmed, Saleemullah, Liaquat Ali and Gulsher Mochi were moved to Sukkur Civil Hospital.

The coaster was going to Sukkur from Chak village.

OPERATION: Shikarpur police set 15 mud-thatched houses on fire and destroyed several hideouts allegedly belonging to outlaws during a search operation in Garhi Tegho katcha area on Thursday, police sources claimed. No arrest was reported till the filing of this report.