HYDERABAD, April 23: Sindh Law Minister Abdul Qadir Halepoto has opined holding of referendum by President Gen Pervez Musharraf is constitutional as per Article 48 of the Constitution.

Speaking at a gathering at his native village, Jhundo Helepoto, about 15km from here, on Monday, he said the people should vote in affirmative to approve the continuity of the policies initiated by the president for the betterment of the people.

He said the peoples’ approval of the president’s policies in the referendum would strengthen the process of reforms initiated by the him in political and economic fields and would mitigate the sufferings of the poor people.

The minister said in the past, many governments announced plans for the welfare of the people but failed to implement them.

He said the present government, during two and half years in power, had not only empowered the union councils so that people’s problems could be resolved at the grass root level but had also taken a number of other steps for the welfare of people.

In his welcome speech Mohammad Moosa Helepoto highlighted the problems of the village and assured the minister that they would vote for Gen Musharraf in the referendum.

Meanwhile, DCO, Hyderabad, Mir Hussain Ali, here on Monday directed the EDO, education, to issue certificates to those students who had attained the age of 18 years to enable them to cast their votes in the referendum.

EDO, education, Ejaz Baig Mirza, has asked the eligible students of government schools to meet their principals and get the required certificates, which should contain their photos, duly attested by the authorities concerned.