HYDERABAD, Nov 12: Nationalist leaders of Sindh, writers and intellectuals at a meeting held here on Friday under the aegis of the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) have resolved to reactivate the “Sindhi Unity Forum” and demanded that a new constituent assembly should be elected on the basis of equal membership and all the provinces should be given equal rights in accordance with the 1940 Pakistan Resolution.

In order to evolve a strategy for launching a joint struggle for the rights of Sindh, the meeting also constituted a sub-committee.

World Sindhi Congress chief Dr Munawar Halepoto presided over the meeting which was attended by noted educationist and intellectual Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo; Awami Tehrik Rasool Bux Palijo; STPP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi; PPP leader Jam Saqi; Mohammad Yousuf Leghari, advocate; Sindh National Council leader Hussain Bux Thebo; agriculture expert Nazeer Memon; Khalid Khokhar, Faqir Rehmatullah Hisbani and others.

The meeting discussed in detail the obtaining situation in Sindh.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Rasool Bux Palijo said that the federating units had joined Pakistan on the condition that the provinces will be ‘independent states’ and they will have the right to secede from the federation.

He claimed that these conditions were a part and parcel of the 1940 Pakistan Resolution. He, however, said that after coming into being of Pakistan, the 1940 resolution was not implemented in letter and in spirit and the smaller provinces — Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan — were deprived of all their rights and its people were treated as slaves.

He termed the existing national institutions as bogus and added that a particular ruling group had taken over the control of all the institutions. Mr Palijo said that the Sindh province and the Sindhi people were no longer prepared to remain as slaves.

He informed that the meeting had demanded that a new constituent assembly should be elected on parity basis in accordance with the 1940 resolution and all the provinces should be given equal rights.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Munawar Halepoto said that the very existence of Sindh was in danger and added that it was time for friends of Sindh to unite on one platform for launching a joint struggle for the rights of Sindh.

He said that the meeting has constituted a “Sindhi Unity Sub-committee” which will contact all segments of society to mobilize their support for launching a joint struggle.

He said that in absence of an organised and a powerful movement, the voice of Sindh will have no impact at international level.