HYDERABAD, Jan 9: Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo has called upon President Gen Pervez Musharraf to make a public announcement if the government has shelved the Kalabagh dam project.

He was speaking at a news conference at the local press club on Monday.

Central leaders of the party, Abrar Qazi and Vishnu Mal, were present on the occasion.

Mr Palijo said Quaid-i-Azam wanted independent federating units in Pakistan with only three subjects -– defence, foreign policy and communication -– with the centre.

He said the concept of Quaid-i-Azam was violated when resolutions passed by the three provincial assemblies against the Kalabagh dam were rejected by the rulers.

The Awami Tehrik chief said the government, apart from constructing the controversial dams, was bombarding peaceful and poor people of Balochistan.

He said the people of Sindh through their peaceful protests had made it clear to the entire world that they would not accept any anti-Sindh project.

Mr Palijo claimed that the people of Balochistan and the NWFP had also expressed solidarity on the Kalabagh dam issue with Sindh.

He said the people of Punjab had also supported the cause of Sindh by staging protest demonstrations in Lahore.

The Awami Tehrik chief said Sindh had historic relations with Balochistan and it considered an attack on Balochistan as a direct attack on Sindh.

He demanded to stop the ongoing ‘operation’ in Balochistan.

He said the people of Sindh would come out to support the people of Balochistan if the operation was not stopped.

Mr Palijo appealed to the people of Sindh to participate in a rally on January 18 in Hyderabad to protest against all controversial projects.

He termed the MQM’s ultimatum to quit the government and then withdrawing it within 12 hours as a drama.

Our Jacobabad correspondent adds The PPP took out a procession in Kandhkot on Monday against the controversial Kalabagh dam and the military ‘operation’ in Balochistan.

The procession was started from Malir and reached the Tower Road.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards and were raising slogans against the operation and the dam.

The protesters included PPP leaders, Haji Abdul Rehman Bhangwar, Haji Muzaffar, Mohammad Khan Khoso and Israr Ahmed Khoso.

They said the Kalabagh dam was a death warrant for the people of Sindh as it would destroy economy of the province.

Our Sukkur Correspondent adds: A large number of workers of the People’s Party Parliamentarians took out a procession and staged a sit-in at Clock Tower in Kandhkot on Monday against the Kalabagh dam and the army operation in Balochistan.

Led by party leader Muzzafar Shujrah, the protesters marched eight kilometres from Malir to Clock Tower where they staged the sit-in for one hour. They raised slogans against the Kalabagh dam and the Balochistan operation.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shujrah termed the Kalabagh dam and the Thal canal anti-Sindh projects.

He regretted that three provincial assemblies had adopted resolutions against the controversial Kalabagh dam but the government was insisting on its construction. He said the people of Sindh would not accept the dam.

Condemning the Balochistan operation, he alleged that innocent people were being killed in the name of operation against terrorists which was creating a sense of hatred among the Baloch people.