HYDERABAD, March 20: The People’s Party Parliamentarians has demanded that three million illegal immigrants living in Sindh should be repatriated to their respective countries to reduce a burden on Sindh economy. Speaking at a press conference at the Hyderabad Press Club, the deputy opposition leader in the Sindh assembly Makhdoom Jameeluzzaman said the PPP had moved a resolution in the assembly on the crucial issue of granting Pakistani citizenship to illegal immigrants but the resolution was put down by the speaker.

He said the assembly in the past had adopted a unanimous resolution that the illegal immigrants should be repatriated to their respective countries as they were a huge burden on the economy of Sindh. The PPP leader pointed out that the government itself had admitted that there were three million illegal immigrants in Sindh.

He asked then why Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz abruptly announced that they would be granted Pakistani citizenship. He said throughout the world illegal immigrants were being repatriated to their countries.

Makhdoom alleged that the resources of Sindh were being looted by the others and the Sindhis were being discriminated against in every field. He said Sindh was being offered peanuts from the NFC share though its sea port contributed a huge amount to the national exchequer.

He said the other issues the PPP wanted to take in the assembly include Dr Shazia Khalid case, construction of dams and canals and the Balochistan issue on the private members’ day. He said discrimination was being done in Dr Shazia Khalid’s case because she was a woman from Sindh.

He said though the case of Mai Mukhtar should be condemned but she was called by the prime minister and assured all help and justice. Contrary to this, he said, the voice of Dr Shazia was suppressed and she had been sent abroad.

Why these double standards, Makhdoom Jameel asked. He demanded that the tormenters of Dr Shazia Memon irrespective of their clout should be sent behind the bars and the prime minister should call Dr Shazia for a meeting as he had done in the case of Mai Mukhtar.

He said Benazir Bhutto was the life chairperson of the People’s Party Parliamentarians and she was personally involved in ongoing talks between the government and the party along with the central leadership.

He said Asif Ali Zardari was a highly respected leader of the party but Benazir Bhutto had made it clear that she would continue to lead the party. Referring to the political crisis in Sindh, he said the Sindh chief minister and the sacked revenue minister had levelled serious allegations of corruption against each other.

He wondered why the Sindh chief minister had not resigned in the face of allegations when the revenue minister had been removed on similar charges.