NAWABSHAH, Sept 19: Activists of the People's Party Parliamentarians took out a procession here on Sunday in protest against the conviction of party leader Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The procession, led by MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio, started from the PPP office in Gharibabad and after marching through main thoroughfares, terminated at the local press club. The protesters were carrying party flags and placards and raising slogans against the government.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Chandio said they did not recognize the National Accountability Bureau or what he called any self-made court, meant only to harass PPP activists. He termed Mr Gilani's conviction the killing of justice and truth.

About the president's uniform issue, Mr Chandio said the PPP would not accept the president in uniform and added that it was shameful that political parties and workers were demonstrating in favour of a general's uniform.

PPP general-secretary Imdad Dhamrah said the PPP had always struggled for democracy and against dictatorship. Later, the gathering adopted resolutions against artificial shortage of water in Sindh, the president's uniform and greater Thal canal and Kalabagh dam projects.

Our Sukkur Correspondent adds: A large number of activists of the Sindh People's Students Federation held a protest demonstration and staged a sit-in on the Barrage Road here on Sunday against the conviction of PPP leader and former National Assembly Speaker Gilani.

Speaking on the occasion, SPSF leaders Najeeb Domki, Naveed Ahmad Soomro and others said PPP leaders were not afraid of such sentences and it was not a new thing for them.

They alleged that Mr Gilani was sentenced for not changing his loyalties. They said it was for the first time that a leader had been awarded sentence for providing jobs to people. The federation leaders said the NAB had been created to punish political opponents.