HYDERABAD: PPP Senator Dr Karim Khawaja has said that his party has started preparations to contest the local government elections wholeheartedly though the move to hold non-party local government elections is a conspiracy to derail the democracy.

He was addressing party workers in Tando Mohammad Khan where he also spoke to journalists on Saturday.

The senator said that efforts were being made to ensure that workers get tickets in the elections.

While ruling out the possibility of a governor’s rule in Sindh, he said that the governor’s removal would, however, not affect the Sindh government in any manner.

About the ongoing operations in Karachi, the senator said that they were being conducted after consultation with all major political parties, including the PPP, the MQM and the PML-N. He said that the MQM would have to purge criminals from its rank and file. He added that the operation would continue until the city was purged from all hit men and criminals.

PPP district chapter president Haji Amin Lakho, Dr Ayub Jat, Abdul Karim Lashari, Israr Ahmed Khawaja and others spoke on the occasion.

About the water issue being faced in Sindh, the senator said that non-release of water downstream Kotri destroyed thousands of agricultural lands in the areas of Sujawal and Badin districts.

He apprehended that saline water of sea could cause destruction in other districts of Sindh also, including Karachi, over the next few years. He said that there were serious differences between the Sindh and federal governments over the water issue.

He said if the situation persisted, Sindh would face drought-like conditions within the next 10 years.

The senator said he would raise the water issue in the upper house and also discuss it as a representative of Pakistan in an international conference being held in Korea.

He expressed the hope that grievances of Sindh would be redressed.

Road inaugurated

The senator inaugurated a road in village Shah Kapur.

On the occasion, a notable of the area Rahim Bux Soomro along with his friends announced joining the PPP. The district president of the party appointed him a member of district committee.

63 held in raids

Police arrested 33 Afghan nationals and 30 other suspects during raids in different areas of Hyderabad on Saturday. The Afghan immigrants were residing illegally, the officials said.

Cases were later registered against them at the Tando Yousuf and Site police stations.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2015

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