HYDERABAD, Jan 2: The Awami Tehrik has condemned the registration of a treason case against the party leaders and activists for staging a protest rally against the Kalabagh dam and the greater Thal canal in Thatta.

In a joint statement issued here on Friday, the AT leaders, Syed Alam Shah, Vishnomal and others, said that the raids on the houses of party leaders who had staged a peaceful protest rally was an insult to the people of Sindh.

They said that the registration of false cases could not stem the tide of protest against the controversial projects as water was a matter of life and death for the people of Sindh.

They announced that protest demonstrations would be held throughout Sindh on Saturday against the registration of the treason case. CPP: The Communist Party of Pakistan on Friday appealed to the leftist and democratic forces to muster public support for launching a consistent struggle against the dictatorial presidential system, privatization, unemployment and price hike.

In a statement issued here, CPP secretary-general Imdad Qazi said that by obtaining the "so-called" vote of confidence, President Gen Pervez Musharraf had strengthened the "generals' rule."

He said that Pakistan was being converted into another Turkey and the agreement between the government and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on the Legal Framework Order had exposed the alliance of the two forces.

He said that the MMA leaders were elected and it established its government in the NWFP and joined coalition government in Balochistan with the blessings of the army establishment.

He said both the groups had hoodwinked and deceived the masses for an year and finally the MMA had helped Gen Musharraf to legitimize his illegal decisions.

He cautioned the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy that if it failed to muster public support, it would remain alive only in newspapers but lose contact with the people.

HEALTH: The director-general, Health Services, Dr Qadir Bux Memon, has said that not a single case of polio has been reported in the district during the last two years and that Hyderabad has already been declared a model district by various international organizations.

Speaking at a news conference in his office here on Wednesday, he said the feat was achieved by the cooperation of doctors, health workers and the people as well as international organizations.

Pointing out that only 27 cases of polio were brought on record during the last year as compared to 39 cases in 2002, he claimed that the affliction had been completely eradicated from 10 districts of the province.

He said national days against polio would be observed throughout the country from January 20 to January 22 while appealing to parents to cooperate in the anti-polio campaign.

Expressing hope that Sindh would be declared polio-free this year, he said the government was trying to provide maximum health facilities to the people and had already sanctioned Rs200 million in this regard for 261 health centres.

He said a medical college had started functioning in Sukkur while the Taluka Hospital Gambat, Khairpur district, was being upgraded as "Institute of Medical Science", and added that a children's hospital would soon start functioning in Karachi.