KARACHI, May 1: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said the government has always allowed peaceful demonstrations and the use of force will only invite state action.

He was addressing a rally organised by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, Labour Wing, at Regal Chowk on Tuesday to show solidarity with workers.

Holding placards and banners appreciating the government policies, the participants of the rally chanted slogans in support of President Musharraf, his government and the PML-Q.

The chief minister said a handful of people from the opposition were resorting to the politics of hooliganism and forceful agitation to influence the judiciary. He said such tactics would malign the honour and image of the judiciary and that was not in the national interest. It is our duty to respect the superior courts and refrain from maligning their image, he added.

“Let the judiciary decide on the reference against the non-functional Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on merit and in accordance with the law,” he said.

Arbab Rahim said the government could organise rallies bigger than those being arranged by opposition parties but it was not in the interest of judiciary as well as the nation. He said that agitators would be dealt in accordance with the law.

Referring to the reports about government’s deal with Pakistan People’s Party, the chief minister said the government did not believe in any deal with any party. “We have undertaken mega development schemes all over the country and we will come back on the basis of our work,” he said.

Saying that President Musharraf has always consulted the nation on every matter and sought the public opinion on important national issues, he maintained that a majority of people was with the president and the government while nobody was with the opposition.

Sindh Minister Nadir Akmal Leghari, in his address, said the government in its four-year term had undertaken an unprecedented development work. The opposition was befooling people by politicising the legal issue, he said.

He said 2007 was a year of elections and the PML would win the next election on the basis of its performance. “We will elect President Musharraf for next term,” he said.

Later, the participants led by the chief minister marched on various streets and reached Karachi Press Club, where the chief minister briefly talked to the families of missing persons and assured them of the recovery of their relatives.

Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for Labour and Industries Adil Siddiqi has said it is his firm conviction that economic prosperity cannot be achieved without workers’ progress.

Addressing a May Day function held at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution, Adil Siddiqi said the government had not only made policy on workers’ welfare but it was also implementing the same in letter and spirit.

He said though it was the responsibility of employers to protect labour rights and in return the labourers should work with dedication, commitment and devotion, the government was also making efforts to ensure provision of due rights to the workers. In this regard, he referred to the organisations like directorate of labour, Sessi, directorate of manpower, mines labour welfare organisation, inspectorate of mines and minimum wages board and the schemes like workers welfare fund and workers’ children education cess. He said all these schemes were aimed at making workers prosperous.

The minister urged media to play role in spreading awareness among workers about their rights.

The function was largely attended by the representatives of employers, employees, industrialists and officials of labour and industries department.—APP