HYDERABAD, Jan 21: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazal) Sindh General Secretary Dr. Khalid Mehmood Soomro on Sunday rejected government claims about developing Sindh’s two islands which he said would come at the cost of livelihood of around 0.5 million fishermen.

Mr. Soomro, who is also a Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) senator, said while addressing "Tahaffuz-i-Hudoodullah" rally outside the local press club that around 300 islands were located between Karachi and Keti Bunder and if the government decided to sell them off it would lead to economic murder of three million fishermen.

He said that the establishment of a proposed Diamond City on the two islands would result in displacement of 0.5 million fishermen and rejected the government claims that the islands’ development would lead to prosperity.

It was in fact a scheme for providing decadent atmosphere to the rich. If the government was interested in development it should first build the fishermen homes and recognise their rights, he said.

He said that Sindhis would never accept Kalabagh Dam because the water shortage had already destroyed their agriculture.

A land which had 100 new deposits of oil and gas and which contributed 70 per cent of total revenue collection of the country was facing still hunger, destruction and joblessness.

He said that if the chief minister could not safeguard Sindh’s interests he should quit. Women's Protection Act contained not a single clause which was in accordance with the Quran and Sunah or women's rights, he said.

He said that the government did not accept any proposals put forward by a team of Ulema on amendments to hereditary laws, sale of women to settle tribal clashes and forced marriages.

Mr. Soomro said that the general elections would be a contest between supporters and opponents of the US and said that the government should announce gazetted holidays to mark the death anniversaries of the four rightly guided caliphs.

The rally adopted a number of resolutions rejecting amendments to Hudood Ordinance and sale of islands, seeking abolition of concurrent list, grant of provincial autonomy and missing people’s recovery.