March 25, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

HYDERABAD, March 24: The Sindh Hari Porhiat Council, an organisation of peasants and labourers, at its first convention held at the press club here on Sunday, has demanded that the land reforms announced in 1977 be implemented in letter and spirit and the physical possessions of the lands allotted to the peasant and local people by the previous governments should be restored to them.

The convention adopted many resolutions calling upon the government to allot the surveyed and non-surveyed state lands to the peasants, farm workers and local people free of cost.

It said that the forests land should also be allotted to the local people on the condition that they will plant trees on 50 per cent of the allotted land and the sale proceeds of the trees should also be given to the poor people.

The convention urged the newly-elected Sindh Assembly to implement The Tenancy Act 1950, including the amendments carried out in 2002 in letter and spirit and also to approve more amendments in the Act in favour of the tillers of land which were already lying with the government.

It demanded that the state lands disposed of in auction or given as reward as well as the lands of absentee landlords should be confiscated and distributed among the local people.

It said that the rates of agricultural inputs — power, oil, machinery, fertilisers, seeds and pesticides should be reduced and the government should make arrangements for the purchase of wheat, rice and other food crops from the growers and make the same available to the poor people at subsidised rates.

It demanded that the minimum wages of the farm workers should be fixed in accordance with the minimum wages act. It said that all the civil servants and workers, who were sacked or compulsorily retired by the previous governments, should be reinstated in service, IRO-2002 should be repealed and the workers should be given their rights in accordance with the ILO charter.

It demanded abolition of contract system and demanded that the workers in all the industrial units as well as the farm workers should be given the right to form unions. It demanded that all the sacked judges should be reinstated and Pemra ordinance repealed to ensure the freedom of press and expression.

It demanded that all the subjects except defence, currency and foreign affairs should be transferred to the provinces, army operation in Balochistan and the NWFP should be suspended and terrorist organisations should be disarmed.

It rejected the proposed construction of Kalabagh, Bhasha, Akhori and other dams and demanded judicious distribution of water to the provinces.

The convention was presided over by Comrade Photo Rustamani and addressed by Hussain Bux Thebo, Ahmed Khan Laghari and Sattar Bangalzai.