MITHI, Jan 18: A big rally was taken out here on Thursday to welcome the government decision to abolish the system of separate electorate and reintroduce joint electorate.

A large number of elected representatives, teachers, doctors, intellectuals, representatives of NGOs, businessmen, journalists, and students participated in the rally which was led by Ramsingh Sodho, Naib Nazim, district Tharparkar.

Speaking at the rally, Mr Sodho said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had taken a bold and principled decision which had been hailed in the country and at the international level.

He added that no elected government could dare to abolish the system of separate electorate.

He said that the system of separate electorate, which was introduced by Gen Zia, had created a sense of deprivation among the minorities,

He pointed out that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the nation, had said in his speeches at a number of occasions that the inhabitants of this state belonging to any religion were equal citizens of the country.

A social worker, Mama Vishan Thari, said that the politics of permits, plots, and wine shops for minority leaders would come to an end after the reintroduction of joint electorate, he hoped.

Hiralal Kamrani, Chetan Lal, Khatau Jani, Kelash Lodha, Mohammad Hanif Bajer and others also spoke on the occasion.