KHAIRPUR, Dec 14: The president of People’s Lawyers Forum, Sukkur division, Mr Liaquat Ali Shar, has said that the Kalabagh dam is a dead issue and President Gen Musharraf had launched a campaign for this controversial project to divert attention from the political and economic situation, unemployment, law and order situation and violation of human rights in the country.

He was speaking at a protest meeting of the PLF here on Wednesday.

He said that small dams could be constructed in the hilly areas of Sindh — Dadu and Kotdiji — to store rainwater, as water flow from the mountains of Kotdiji spread over a large area and submerged hundreds of acres of land.

He said that instead of announcing construction of the Kalabagh dam, steps should be taken to restore real democracy in the country. He said that Sindh would not benefit from construction of the Kalabagh dam.

The meeting condemned the statement of Federal Information Minister Shaikh Rasheed, wherein he had claimed that the Sindh chief minister was supporting the Kalabagh dam.

The forum through a resolution also condemned sexual harassment of minor prisoners in the central jail of Khairpur and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter.