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HYDERABAD, Jan 15: The Sindh Qaumi Ittehad has expressed concern over the political situation in Sindh and arrest of political activists and condemned the ongoing army operation in Balochistan. A meeting of a sub-committee of the Ittehad held here on Sunday also finalized arrangements for protest rallies scheduled to be held throughout Sindh on Monday.
Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leader Niaz Kalani presided over the meeting which was attended by Sindh National Front leaders Ayoub Shar and Mohammad Paryal Bughio, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party leaders Hote Khan Gadi and Muzaffar Kalhoro, Jeay Sindh Mahaz leader Hashim Khoso and SNC leader Punhal Sario.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Ittehad leaders said that in Hyderabad, a protest procession would be taken out from the Old Campus which would terminate outside the press club. They said that central leaders of the Ittehad would speak at the gathering.
They said that a four-member administrative committee had been constituted to ensure success of the procession.
They said that another anti-Kalabagh dam rally would be held in Larkana on Jan 28 and added that in this connection, a meeting of heads of affiliated parties of the Ittehad would be held at the residence of Sardar Mumtaz Ali Bhutto on Jan 20.
The Ittehad leaders alleged that political, social, cultural and economic rights of the smaller provinces were being usurped to protect interests of Punjab which had created unprecedented crisis in the country.
They regretted that innocent women and children were being killed in Balochistan and the house of Nawab Mohammad Akbar Bugti who had remained the governor and chief minister of Balochistan had been occupied by forces.
They said that workers of nationalist parties in Sindh were being arrested and they were not being produced in courts.
They said that the people of Sindh would continue their struggle against the Balochistan operation and the proposed construction of the Kalabagh dam.
CPP: Activists of the Communist Party of Pakistan marched from the Haider chowk to the press club here on Sunday to protest against the army operation in Balochistan, proposed construction of the Kalabagh dam and the US bombardment in Bajaur.
Central party secretary-general Imdad Qazi and provincial secretary Iqbal Khan and Sindh National Council leader Hussain Bux Thebo led the protest. The protesters raised slogans against the Kalabagh dam, operations in Balochistan and Wana and the American bombardment in Bajaur.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Qazi dubbed the rulers as American agents and said that time had come for people to launch a joint and consistent struggle to dislodge the government.
He said that the rulers had raised the Kalabagh dam issue to prolong their rule. He alleged that the government wanted to pit the people of Punjab against the people of the other provinces.
He said an operation had been launched in Balochistan as if it was an enemy country. He regretted that the operation had not been suspended even on the auspicious occasion of Eid.
Mr Qazi praised democratic and progressive forces of Punjab who had come out on the streets to express solidarity with the people of the other provinces.
He called upon democratic, nationalist and progressive forces to launch a joint struggle not only against the Kalabagh dam but also to overthrow the government.
He assured the Anti-Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam Committee of his party’s support and said CPP activists would participate in the anti-Kalabagh dam rally scheduled to be held on Jan 18.
CONSULATES: The Hyderabad chapter of the Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy has reiterated its demand for setting up India’s and Pakistan’s consulates in Karachi and Mumbai for issuing visas.
In a joint statement issued here on Sunday, Zafar Ahmad Rajput, Jalal Laghari and Abbas Jafri appealed to prime ministers of Pakistan and India to set up consulates in Mumbai and Karachi to facilitate people who wanted to visit their relatives in the two countries.
They said that people had to visit New Delhi and Islamabad to get visas which entailed a lot of expenses and people had to face inconvenience.
They said that hurdles in the way of opening of the consulates should be removed.
They claimed that the majority of people who wanted to visit India were settled in Sindh.
