SUKKUR, Feb 15: Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar has expressed the fear that the US attack on Iraq will affect Pakistan.

Talking to newsmen in Khangarh on Thursday, the chief minister said a large number of Sindhis and other Pakistanis serving in Middle East states would be rendered jobless and they would have to return to the country.

He said the Sindh government had formed a policy and it would allow people to stage protest demonstrations if they remained peaceful.

In reply to a question, Mr Mahar said opposition members of the Sindh Assembly would also be asked to propose development schemes.

He said investment activities had been started in the province to control the unemployment.

He said recruitment in government departments would be made on merit basis and efficiency of the government would be improved.

Prisoners PROTEST: Prisoners of the Kandhkot judicial lockup continued their hunger strike here on Friday.

The prisoners resorted to hunger strike on Eid day after the jail staff allegedly demanded bribe from them.

Abdul Latif, Rahim Bux, and other prisoners have accused the jail staff of charging rupees two hundred each from their relatives who wanted to meet them on Eid day.

They said the staff charged Rs20 for providing them daily meal. They further said a monthly “Bhatta” of Rs2,000 to Rs5,000 was charged from them.