ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has expressed concern over an Irsa report that 65 per cent of Sindh's water share had been 'stolen'.

In a statement issued here by PPP media cell, Ms Bhutto called for taking action against those responsible. She said farmers of Sindh must be compensated financially as well by writing off the loans since their crops failed due to water shortage.

She also called for taking measures to ensure that water theft did not take place against. She maintained that one reason for the water theft was allocating desert land to military personnel who then needed water to irrigate it.

Ms Bhutto called for the lining of the canals, building of small dams and digging of tubewells to help farmers overcome the water shortage.

According to press reports, 65 per cent of Sindh's share of water - 3,000 cusecs daily - had been stolen from January 16 to 20.

Govt made mockery of Constitution: The government has made a mockery of the Constitution and rules of the Parliament which was evident in the recently-concluded session of the Senate.

This was stated by People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) leader Mian Raza Rabbani in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The PPP leader said in the first case, the government had allowed the Senate chairman to continue to preside over the house when he had become the acting president thus denying the country of a president and supreme commander for those hours.

As if this was not sufficient, the Order Prorogation of the Senate read on January 23 was signed by Gen Pervez Musharraf, who was out of the country. The constitutional requirement is that the order should have been signed by the acting president, he added.

"This action of the government gives rise to very serious concerns which suggest that orders are signed by the President in anticipation of events.

Similarly, it will be reasonable to presume that retrospective signatures are also obtained by the government."

The PPP leader said this act of the government was a violation of the Constitution.

He said in the next sitting of the Senate, the opposition would take up the matter through a motion.

The government has made a mockery of the Constitution and rules of the Parliament which was evident in the recently-concluded session of the Senate.

This was stated by People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) leader Mian Raza Rabbani in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The PPP leader said in the first case, the government had allowed the Senate chairman to continue to preside over the house when he had become the acting president thus denying the country of a president and supreme commander for those hours.

As if this was not sufficient, the Order Prorogation of the Senate read on January 23 was signed by Gen Pervez Musharraf, who was out of the country. The constitutional requirement is that the order should have been signed by the acting president, he added.

"This action of the government gives rise to very serious concerns which suggest that orders are signed by the President in anticipation of events.

Similarly, it will be reasonable to presume that retrospective signatures are also obtained by the government."

The PPP leader said this act of the government was a violation of the Constitution.

He said in the next sitting of the Senate, the opposition would take up the matter through a motion.