LARKANA, Aug 18: The leader of opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Mr Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, has said that thousands of eligible voters were not able to use their right of franchise because of the government’s decision to use 2001’s voters’ lists in the local body elections.

Talking to Dawn here on Thursday, he sought a clarification from the Election Commission in this regard.

Mr Khuhro said it looked tricky that separate voters’ lists would be used for local body and general elections. He described it a move by the rulers to get desired results in the local body polls.

He alleged that fake Computerized National Identity Cards were being prepared in the Larkana district which would be used in the polls. This showed that the government had planned massive rigging in the elections, he maintained.

He also accused the Sindh government of using state machinery for electioneering of its candidates for the polls.

Referring to a statement of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim that water flow downstream Kotri Barrage was being wasted, Mr Khuhro said if the chief minister did not have accurate information about a subject he should contact technical experts before commenting on a technical issue.

He said international experts on ecology considered releasing water downstream Kotri necessary for survival of mangrove forests and marine life and stopping sea erosion. He said thousands of acres of land in Thatta and Badin had already been eroded by seawater. He also criticized the chief minister’s failure on the NFC award issue which he said had badly affected Sindh.

WATERCOURSES: The Project Director of the National Programme for Improvement of Watercourse, Sindh, Mohammad Younus Dagha, has urged the field staff in Larkana and Qamber-Shahdadkot districts to achieve the target in connection with the improvement of watercourses in the two districts.