HYDERABAD, April 30: The central president, Sindh Hari Committee, Comrade Azhar Jatoi, complained on Tuesday that the haris were not being paid the government rates of Rs300 per maund for their wheat crop.

He said that only the big waderas were being paid the government rates.

In a statement issued here, Mr Jatoi said that the small growers were also not being issued gunny bags which were being unloaded at the Autaqs of the landlords.

He alleged that the gunny bags were being sold out to the waderas and the traders and in this way the food department officials were earning a huge amount.

Mr Jatoi alleged that the deputy director, Larkana, was performing the role of Kamdar of the big waderas.

He said that contrary to this, wheat was being purchased at Rs300 per maund in Punjab by the government, which was creating a sense of deprivation among the small growers and haris of Sindh.

IRANIAN DIPLOMATS: The cultural consular, Embassy of Iran, Islamabad, Professor Dr Raza Mustafvi Sabzawari, and the director general, Iranian Consulate, Karachi, Mohammad Raza Zahri, on Monday laid a floral wreath on the Mazar of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai at Bhitshah and offered Fateha.

They had come to attend the Urs celebrations of the great poet at the invitation of the Sindhi Language Authority (SLA) and were accompanied by Sindh culture and tourism secretary Ashiq Hussain Memon.

Professor Mustafvi also attended the Shah Latif Adabi Conference and paid tributes to Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast, and Qalandar Lal Shahbaz.

SLA chairman Professor Mohammad Qasim Bughio in his speech said that an alphabetic directory was being prepared on the poetry of Shah Latif and arrangements were also being made to computerize his work.

He said that a book, based on the research papers, read during the Shah Latif Adabi conferences in 1999, 2000 and 2001, had already been published.

Hyderabad District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman and Sindh University Vice Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui performed the launching ceremony of the book.

Mr Siddiqui presided over the conference.