HYDERABAD, Jan 27: Speakers at a seminar have stressed that Sindhis have no confidence in the Election Commission of Pakistan and demanded that the upcoming general elections should be held under impartial international organisations or the United Nations.

The seminar organised by Sindh Intellectual Forum at the press club on Friday on "What have the elections, elected representatives and assemblies given to Sindhis" passed a number of resolutions demanding that all the subjects, except three, should be transferred to provinces, the federating units should be granted sovereignty and all the broken-up districts should be restored to their previous status before general elections.

On of the resolutions opposed the sale of Sindh’s two islands and new demarcation of constituencies and urged the political parties to publish their manifestos with regard to distribution of water, construction of dams and canals on the River Indus and provincial autonomy.

The seminar heavily criticised the construction of Kalabagh, Bhasha, Akhori and all the other mega water reservoirs on the River Indus and demanded that the properties granted under fake claims should be taken back and criminal activities in educational institutions should be stopped.

Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo said in his address that as long as the country was in the clutches of establishment it was impossible for people to get rid of slavery from waderas.

He said that the country since its very had never seen free, fair and transparent elections. The elections had in fact become a headache for people, he said.

He said that the Sindh’s elected representatives had committed unspeakable excesses against people. The issue of constituencies’ demarcation was being raised at a time when people were busy protesting against the dams, to divert their attention from the real issue, he claimed.

Mr Palijo strongly criticised Gen Pervez Musharraf and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain and said that people had been held hostages by criminals.

He called the elected representatives ‘opportunists’ with selfish ends to protect and said they could never speak about people’s emancipation. Under these circumstances elections were meaningless, he added.

Citing evidence from history he said that Ayub Khan had sold out the country’s rivers but when Z. A. Bhutto became prime minister he never uttered even a word against on this issue. He had no belief in elected assemblies, he only had faith in peoples' assemblies, he said.

Noted intellectual Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo stressed the need for free, fair and transparent elections and added that people were being deprived of their rights in the presence of elected assemblies and judiciary.