HYDERABAD, Jan 13: The Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) has expressed concern over the closure of 700 rice mills in the upper Sindh.

It also demanded action against bandits who were threatening the mill owners with dire consequences if they did not pay them extortion money.

In a communication addressed to the Sindh governor, the chief minister, the chief secretary and the IGP, SAB president Abdul Majeed Nizamani pointed out that bandits attacked a rice mill in Jacobabad as the mill owners did not pay them Rs200,000.

He said the people were afraid of lodging FIRs against bandits.

Nizamani said the persistent water shortage had badly affected the agriculture sector, adding this was the fourth consecutive year of getting low produce in the province. Poor market prices of rice, wheat, onion, chili, tomatoes and other vegetables had further added to the miseries of growers, he said.

He said the deadlock between sugarcane growers and mill owners over prices of sugarcane would ruin the growers.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the province, the SAB chief said people were being kidnapped in daylight but the law enforcement agencies had failed to trace the kidnappers.

BY-ELECTION: Sardar Saleem Jan Khan Mazari, an MNA and a central leader of the National Alliance, has said that Imtiaz Shaikh had been unanimously nominated by the National Alliance to contest the provincial assembly election on PS-18 which was vacated by him.

In a statement faxed to the Bureau from Kashmore Mr Mazari said that he had personally invited Imtiaz Shaikh to contest the elections on the vacated seat, and added that it was now a matter of self-respect and prestige that Imtiaz Shaikh should be elected.

He said that he had obtained 62,000 votes in the general elections and expressed hope that Mr Imtiaz would get even more votes in the by-elections on the same seat because all the tribes, tribal chiefs, and influential people had announced to support him.

He said that his political opponent, Ghalib Domki, who had contested the elections on a PPP ticket, was now contesting the by-elections as an independent candidate under a planned conspiracy.

He said that “some elements” were trying to create misunderstanding between the National Alliance and the PML(Q).

He thanked the PML(Q) president, Choudhry Shujaat Hussain, for announcing his party’s support for Mr Imtiaz.

TRIBUTE: Tribute was paid to the services of the late Makhdoom Mohammad Zaman Talibul Maula in the fields of education, literature, social work and politics, at a gathering to mark his 10th death anniversary, here the other day.

The anniversary function was organized by a literary organization, Rooh Rehan, in Qasimabad.

Speakers on the occasion said that Talibul Maula had played a fundamental role in the establishment of the Sindhi Adabi Board, which was now on the brink of collapse.

They demanded that the poetic work of Talibul Maula should be translated into English.

Dr Ghulam Ali Allana said that somebody should do a PhD on the Hala Haveli.

He said that Talibul Maula had served the Sindhi language, culture and music.

Hameed Sindhi said that Talibul Maula was an authority on culture, poetry, literature and music of Sindh.

He stressed the need for a consistent struggle for the promotion of the Sindhi culture.

Habibullah Siddiqui said that Talibul Maula was not only a good poet but also a decent man.

Others, who spoke on the occasion, included Imdad Hussaini, Taj Joyo, Inayat Baloch, Jam Saqi and Sarfaraz Rajar.

CASE: The deputy director of Anti-corruption Establishment has ordered the registration of an FIR against the deputy district officer, revenue of Badin, the Mukhtiarkar of Matli taluka for interpolating into the revenue record.

According to the EDO, health, Dr Ashraf Bhurgari, the action was taken over an application by his father, Dr Allah Bux Bhurgari, who requested for the registration of a case against the DDO, revenue, Badin, Naubat Zardari; and the Mukhtiarkar of Matli taluka, Nazir Qureshi; for manipulating revenue record in favour of his nephew.

The applicant claimed that his nephews had paid a bribe to Qureshi and Zardari for a favourable report.

He stated that the two officials had cancelled old entries and made a false entry into the record.