KARACHI, Sept 8: Parliamentary leader of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in Sindh Assembly Maulana Umar Sadiq has regretted that the issues for which the assembly session has been requisitioned, were not being addressed.

He said that the attitude of the treasury benches could not be called positive.

He was responding to questions at a news conference which he addressed, along with leader of the opposition Nisar Khuhro, on Monday.

To a question he said that the MMA was part of the combined opposition and talks with the government at the centre were taking place after taking the ARD into confidence.

He said that the MMA leaders have made it clear that the alliance would not join the government and if it succeeded in resolving the issue of 58(2) (b) and President in uniform, it would be good.

He told a questioner that initially the MMA had put certain points before the parties which the PPP had accepted. “That is why we are part of the opposition,” he added.

Asked to comment on reports about “agreement” between government and the opposition, leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro said: “We don’t know what is in the package. Heads of the parties have not yet met, nor have they seen the “package”. So it is not advisable to comment on that at this stage.”

Regarding PML(Q) chief Ch Shujaat’s reported statement in which he had asked Sindh to give sacrifices on water issue, Nisar Khuhro said since 1991 the people of Sindh have been sacrificing and their land became barren owing to lack of adequate water supply.

He said that PPP believes in the federation of Pakistan and three provinces have opposed contentious water storage projects. He said that the NWFP had opposed Kalabagh because it would inundate its considerable land. Sindh believes that it would turn more of its land into desert. He said that Sindh had not yet received any guarantee of downstream Kotri flow.

He was of the view that a dam in Northern areas thrice the size of Kalabagh would be much better.

He was of the view that the Kalabagh Dam issue had been revived to distract attention from the GTC project.

He also accused the government of deliberately wasting time of the House and said that sixth item on opposition’s agenda was also law and order.