KHAIRPUR, Oct 20: The Sachal Adabi Conference, presided over by A.R.Malik, vice chancellor of the Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, was held at the Sachal Academy here on Thursday.

Dr Nawaz Ali Shouq was chief guest.

A number of writers read their papers on Sufi thought, life of Sachal Sarmast and his works.

They included Abdul Jabbar Junejo, Hidayat Prem, Anwar Figar Hakro, Punhal Dahar, Najam Noor Phulpoto, Khadim Abbasi, Ghulam Mohammad Lakho, Badar Soomro, Zakir Khatti, Hisbullah I. Soomro and others.

The Sachal chair displayed three books written on life and poetry of Sachal Sarmast.

Ex-nazim: Former district nazim Khairpur, Ms Nafisa Shah, has said that government property and forests were not safe in the hands of officials of the new district government.

She was talking to party workers here on Thursday at Jilani House.

She said there are some beautiful government forests in kutcha area of the district, particularly in Gambat taluka.

She lamented that trees were being chopped at a large scale in the forests which means the ruling coalition partners were illegally taking possession of the forest lands.

She said that during her four-year tenure, she struggled for protection of government property, particularly forests.

PROTEST: Women and children observed a hunger strike outside the district and session court building here on Thursday on the second consecutive day Children including Salma, Hurmat, Kulsoom, Rahmatullah Channa (children of Ghulam Shabbir Channa) observed hunger strike. They were led by Rehmat Khatoon Channa, sister of Ghulam Shabbir Channa. They were demanding arrest of the murderers of Ghulam Shabbir, who was killed on October 2, 2005, in the jurisdiction of Mehmood Channa police station.