September 13, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 12, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 12: A group of Sindhi intellectuals have expressed their concern over the alleged plan to dispose of Sindh’s mineral and other resources to overcome the country’s economic crisis.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday, Dilshad Bhutto (Senior), who claimed to be the representative of the group, agreed with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief, Altaf Hussain, that the “resources are being disposed of under a conspiracy”.

Accompanied by Sajid Soomro, Bari Mangi, Zulfikar Kolachi, Aslam Tunio, Faiz Junejo, Nawaz Chandio, Wahid Kandhro, Ajmer Bhutto, Mehmood Sehto, Akash Khatri and Waris Kandhro, Mr Bhutto alleged that the conspiracy was hatched by the “Punjabi establishment”, and asserted that Sindh’s resources could be claimed only by the Sindhi- and Urdu-speaking population of the province by right.

“We the Sindhi- and Urdu-speaking people of Sindh will resist all attempts by the Punjabi establishment to take away our resources,” he warned.

The intellectuals appreciated the MQM chief’s recent statements drawing the masses’ attention to the conspiracy, and said it was Mr Hussain’s duty as a son of the soil to resist each and every anti-Sindh plot.

“We also appeal to Sindh assembly members to raise their voice on the floor of the house against the plot and ensure protection of the province’s resources like they did in the case of Thar coal,” they said.

Reading out a written statement, Mr Bhutto said that the federal government decided to dispose of Sindh’s certain resources and invited bids from multinational/international parties within a week. “Such a step to cover the country’s economic losses does not provide a permanent solution to the problem… the government is spending billions on military operations to check Talibanisation…,” he argued, and suggested that the country’s vital institutions should be fully authorised to deal with the economic crisis and assigned to formulate a consensus policy.