SUKKUR, Dec 23: The People's Party Parliamentarians will challenge the removal of four district nazims and bifurcation of districts in the Sindh High Court.

This decision was taken by the party's Sindh Council at a meeting held at the residence of MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah here on Thursday. Members of the council from all over Sindh attended the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the political scenario in the country and the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy's movement. It decided to launch a protest against the removal of nazims of Jacobabad, Larkana, Dadu and Mirpurkhas.

It also constituted a committee which would challenge the decision of the Sindh government in the court. Referring to bifurcation of districts in the province, the meeting observed that there was no need to create new districts and it would increase expenses of the government.

It alleged that the government was trying to divide people and deviate their attention from serious problems. The meeting also condemned the alleged police torture of PPP activists who were protesting against the re-arrest of Asif Ali Zardari.

It adopted a resolution demanding that the government should release political prisoners and take action against policemen who tortured the party workers. It regretted that the government was allowing the Pakistan Muslim League and other parties to hold public meetings and processions but the PPP workers, who had gathered to welcome Mr Zardari at the Islamabad Airport, were arrested and tortured.

The PPP Sindh Council asked the workers to participate in the public meeting of the ARD scheduled to be held in Sukkur on Jan 2. It also asked the workers to attend the anniversary of party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on Jan 5.

Later, MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah and Sindh PPP chief Qaim Ali Shah told a press conference that the PPP would continue to oppose construction of the Kalabagh dam. They maintained that construction of the dam would put integrity of the country at stake.

They said Ms Bhutto had appointed a panel of lawyers, including advocate Ayaz Soomro of Larkana, to challenge the bifurcation of districts and the removal of nazims in the high court.

They said another panel of lawyers from Karachi would also move an application in the SHC, Karachi, in this connection. They termed the bifurcation of the districts by the Sindh government an attempt to divide the vote bank of the PPP. However, they said, the party workers were united and they were ready to face the situation.

The PPP leaders also condemned the lawlessness in the province, especially in the Shikarpur district, and said despite the lapse of 25 days, police had failed to recover the kidnapped judges. They said the judges had not been recovered although police authorities had claimed that the kidnappers had been identified.

The also criticized the recent rise in petrol prices and said it would add to miseries of people. They demanded that the government should reduce the prices and provide relief to people.