June 17, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429

MITHI, June 16: Arbab group had decided to pull out its candidate Arbab Naimatullah from the race for PS-62 (Nagarparkar) by-polls in favour of Pakistan People’s Party candidate Sharjil Inam Memon, sources privy to negotiations between PPP leaders and Arbabs disclosed on Monday.

The sources said that the negotiations were held at the bungalow of MNA Arbab Zakaullah in Karachi the previous night. PPP’s provincial minister Ali Mardan Shah, MNA Pir Aftab Shah Jilani and Sharjil Inam Memon reminded the Arbab group during talks that PPP candidate Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani had withdrawn nomination papers in 2002 elections in favour of Arbab Zakaullah for NA-229 and helped him win unopposed.

Therefore, Arbab group should reciprocate the gesture now by pulling Arbab Naimatullah out of the race in favour of PPP’s Sharjil Memon.

The sources said that the Arbab group leaders and assured the PPP heavyweights that their candidate would pull out in favour of PPP.

The PPP leaders in turn assured Arbabs that no action would be taken in future to victimise the supporters of Arbab group in Thar.

MNAs Arbab Zakaullah, Ghulam Hyder Samejo, MPA Abdul Razzaq, district nazim Arbab Anwar and Qamaruddin Rahoomo represented Arbab group in the talks.

Since all the other candidates have already reportedly withdrawn from the contest PPP’s Sharjil Memon is most likely to be elected unopposed for the seat in by-polls on June 26.

LEGAL NOTICE: Popular Sindhi vocalist Shafi Faqir has sent a legal notice through his advocate to a Mirpurkhas-based music company for illegally releasing CDs containing two albums of his 14 songs.

Shafi Faqir alleged in the legal notice that in 2004, he had compiled and sung 14 songs at an evening with poet Haleem Baghi in Mirpurkhas and to his utter astonishment, the Thar Production music company unlawfully released CDs of the evening without seeking his consent or permission.

Shafi Faqir alleged that as the CDs quality was below standard and poor, it had greatly tarnished his reputation. “If the company will not compensate me for the unjustified act, he will move court for dispensation of justice,” Faqir warned.

In a press statement, folk singers Sadiq Faqir and Karim Faqir deplored the unlawful release of Shafi Faqir’s CDs by the company.

ELECTRIFICATION: The chief executive officer of the Alternative Energy Development Board, Mohammad Yousuf Memon, has said that a comprehensive programme has been launched to electrify as many villages of Tharparkar as possible.

Mr Memon said that various villages of Mithi and Chhachhro taluka to monitor the progress of ongoing installation work of solar energy system.

The chairman of AEDB directed Riazuddin Abro, project director of Sindh to ensure sustainability of Solar Home Systems (SHS) being installed through Energy Development Board in Tharparkar district.

The project director apprised the chairman that so far AEDB had completed 1048 SHS in tehsil Mithi’s 20 villages.

Project director pointed out that in the first phase 3,000 solar connections had been approved.