KARACHI, May 3: The chief of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional), Pir Pagara, has supported construction of Kalabagh Dam by saying it is in the interest of Sindh. Talking to newsmen at Kingri House after hour-long talks with former prime minister Zafarullah Jamali on Tuesday, Pir Pagara said all political forces of the country were looking towards President Pervez Musharraf to steer the country out of the present crisis.

According to him, the law and order situation in Sindh was getting worse. “I told Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim who met me on Monday to work for improving the law and order situation in the province, particularly in Karachi. Robbers snatched a mobile phone and Rs 1,500 from my servant outside my house here. People are dissatisfied and are resorting to sit-ins in the interior of the province for acceptance of their demands,” he added.

Mr Zafarullah said that political dialogue with the Pakistan People’s Party and PML (Nawaz) would not be successful until President Musharraf talked directly with leaders of the two parties.

Since May 2004, he said, no meeting of the central committee of the ruling PML had been held. Moreover, he added, the party’s central working committee had not been formed yet.

Regarding the Balochistan situation, he said there were no ‘warlords’ there. “They (warlords) are in Afghanistan and Iraq and it is not fair to describe political leaders of Balochistan as warlords,” he added.

Referring to the parliamentary committee on Balochistan, he said that the people of Sindh and the NWFP could also demand formation of such committees for redressal of their grievances.

Mr Jamali said he had discussed the overall political situation in the country with Pir Pagara.—PPI