HYDERABAD, Sept 4: The Sindh Writers and Intellectuals National Conference has issued a declaration rejecting construction of the Thal canal.

The conference, held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of noted writer Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo, also opposed construction of more dams on the Indus River. It said construction of more projects on the Indus would further deepen water crisis in Sindh.

The conference said the Thal canal and other projects on the River Indus should be shelved in the larger interest of the country.

The declaration said the Sindh government had failed to present and protect the interests of the province and its people in different forums. “In fact Sindh is today without representation in any decision making forum”, it added.

It regretted that the federal government was even not considering unanimously-adopted resolutions of the Sindh Assembly against construction of the Thal canal and the Kalabagh dam.

The declaration said economic and social condition of Sindh were worse and added that according to the government statistics 80 per cent of rural population of the province live below the poverty line.

It maintained that Sindh was being deprived of its share of irrigation water and its funds and resources were being transferred to other provinces through what it called the unjust National Finance Commission award.

It regretted that Badin and Ghotki districts which produced 60 per cent of oil production and 50 per cent of fertilizers of the country respectively were among the most backward districts.

The conference took strong exception to the statement of President Gen Pervez Musharraf that Sindhi people could not be given higher posts as they did not fulfil the criterion of merit.

It said it was an insult to the people. It reminded the president that the current situation of the country was not be- cause of Sindhis but because of those whom he considered able ones.

Those who spoke at the conference included Ibrahim Joyo, Rasool Bux Palijo, Dr G. A. Allana, Prof Mushtaq Meerani, Inam Shaikh, Mehtab Mehboob, Prof Aijaz Qureshi, Prof Dr Qasim Bughio and Qazi Abdul Majeed.