HYDERABAD, Dec 11: Speakers at a conference on Friday accused the rulers of depriving people of Sindh of their resources of water and agriculture and called for a struggle by people from a common platform to safeguard their inherent and fundamental rights.

The two-day conference on "International human rights and Sindhiat" was organized by the Sindh National Council.

Chairing the first session, Washington-based think-tank for national self-determination executive director Dr Walt Landry spoke of monarchies until 1750 and the concept of right to self-determination which was recognized in the UN Charter in 1945. He referred to the dismemberment of the USSR in 1991 and the Vietnam war as significant on account of right to self-determination and added that now in Asia, it was spreading fast.

Former Supreme Court Bar Association president and National Workers Party chief Abid Hassan Manto said the provinces should be given rights over their resources.

He underscored the need for launching a political struggle for making the Constitution a democratic one. He observed that the Constitution had been amended to give a political role the army in the country.

He said the president's uniform issue was irrelevant as right from Karachi to Peshawar, industries, banks and leasing companies were thriving and they enjoyed monopoly to protect their corporate interests.

Mr Manto maintained that under the garb of the WTO, neo-imperialism was being introduced.

Criticizing political forces, he said they were now ready to strike deals and hold negotiations with the army while labourers had no right to talk about their rights as the Industrial Relations Ordinance had been promulgated. He regretted that investors were being encouraged to make investment with a guarantee that there would be no trade unions.

He stressed the need for changing the system to ensure the people their rights.

People's Party Parliamentarians' MNA Zafar Ali Shah supported provincial autonomy and called upon the army to leave politics otherwise the country's future was doomed.

He said under the devolution of power plan, all powers had been vested in the federal government to run districts.

Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palejo, who chaired the second session, deplored usurpation of Sindh resources. Alleging that the rulers wanted to destroy Sindh economically, he referred to the recent import of food stuff by the government though it was in good production in Sindh.

Speaking about global imperialism, he said even after being defeated by people, imperialist powers would remain intact. He criticized the US for its doctrine of regime change.