KARACHI, June 27: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said on Tuesday that the opposition in the provincial assembly had used `chit diplomacy’ to spoil the budget session.

Speaking in the Sindh Assembly after it had passed the provincial budget for 2006-7, the chief minister claimed that the opposition had nothing to say on the budget.

He said that when the opposition leaders came into power they resorted to violence and when they were in the opposition they did the same out of frustration.

“But they should know that we are not wearing bangles and they should stop such practices,” he said.

Dr Rahim said the opposition talked about the `charter of democracy’ but it itself took dictatorial decisions.

“We have taken democratic decisions and served the people, who have given us mandate for this reason. The people of Sindh don't want Luddi and Ho Jamalo groups but their cause to be served,” he said. He said people would defeat the `Luddi group’ in the next elections.

The chief minister said what the People’s Party Parliamentarians had done inside the house was enough for dissolution of the assembly but President Pervez Musharraf was firm on seeing the assemblies complete their term.

He said that if MPA Eshwar Lal had done anything wrong, the speaker should had been informed about it and if he had not resolved the issue then the opposition should have protested.

Mr Lal, he said, had not committed a sin because the members did not talk to each other inside the house but exchanged chits.

If a person had committed a mistake, it should not have been dealt with wrongful action. The opposition committed a bigger wrong, he stated.

The chief minister said the assemblies would complete their term, a democratic system had taken off and it should be allowed to move ahead.

He said it was for the first time that a budget of Rs193 billion had been presented, of which Rs50 billion would be spent on development.

He said district hospitals were being improved, dams constructed to store rainwater, salaries of police increased, a new irrigation system being launched for which 80 per cent funds would be provided by the federal government and 20 per cent by abadgars, cattle colonies being developed and 6,000km of roads being constructed. He said all this would bring a revolution in the province.

The chief minister said the PPP used to run the province with an overdraft of Rs12 billion, while the current government had given a surplus budget. He said people were not prepared to support the opposition because it stood exposed.—APP