Disregard for resolutions negation of federation’

Bureau Report

HYDERABAD, Dec 26: The Sindhi Association of North America (Sana) has termed rejection of resolutions of three provincial assemblies by rulers against Kalabagh dam a clear negation of federation.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Monday, Sana president Aziz Narejo said that during last five years, Sindh had witnessed water shortage ranging between 30 and 80 per cent.

“We have roots in Sindh and we cannot remain indifferent to a terrible predicament being faced by the people of Sindh”, Mr Narejo said.

He said democracy had been derailed in Pakistan and Doctrine of Necessity had superseded the Constitution of 1973.

He said constant interference by the centre in affairs of provinces had become a rule rather than an exception.

He said what Pakistan needed was an unfettered and uncontrolled democracy.

He said members of parliament and provincial assemblies should emulate Awami National Party and volunteer to quit their seats if any announcement about construction of Kalabagh dam was made.

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/27/nat18.htm

Major parties to attend anti-Kalabagh dam rally

By Our Correspondent

PESHAWAR, Dec 27: Various political parties and groups have assured their participation in the anti-Kalabagh rally of the Awami National Party at Jehangira, Nowshera, on December 29. This was stated by the ANP’s central vice president and chairman Anti-Kalabagh Front Ghulam Ahmed Bilour at a news conference in Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday.

He asked people from all walks of life to attend the rally to show their unity against a project which was aimed at destroying fertile lands of the province.

He said the Pakistan Peoples Party-Parliamentarian, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal, PPP-Sherpao and various organisations of lawyers, doctors, engineers and students had ensured their participation in the rally.

He said Mehmood Khan Achakzai from Balochistan, Afzal Khan Lala, Rasool Bakhsh Paleejo, Qadir Magsi from Sindh, and other nationalist leaders would also address the rally.

He said that friends and advisors of General Musharraf were pushing him towards a point-of-no-return.

He said its was a technical as well as a political issue and the assemblies of the NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan had already rejected the project through their unanimous resolutions.

He said the first resolution against the Kalabagh dam was passed in 1985 by NWFP Assembly, the second in Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao’s tenure and the third in Mir Afzal Khan’s tenure. He said all the parties and independent MPAs had backed these resolutions.

Mr Bilour said his party was not against production of cheap electricity or big water reservoirs and time and again had proposed to successive governments to build non-controversial Basha, Katzara and other dams instead of Kalabagh dam which was supported only by the Punjab.

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/28/nat41.htm

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KARACHI: Sindh Bar rejects Kalabagh Dam plan

By Our Staff Reporter

KARACHI, Dec 27: The Sindh Bar Council on Tuesday warned against the construction of Kalabagh Dam. An SBC meeting, held at Garhi Yasin, Shikarpur, with the council’s Vice-Chairperson, Noor Naz Agha, in the chair, said the dam project was unfeasible ‘geologically, hydrologically and economically’. A resolution passed by the meeting said, inter alia:

“This meeting of the Sindh Bar Council views with deep concern the proposed construction of the Kalabagh Dam. The project has been vehemently opposed by the people of Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP, and their representative assemblies have repeatedly adopted resolutions against it.

“The construction of the dam, in the opinion of the council, is not only against the interests of the people of the three smaller provinces, but also of the country at large. The controversial issue has been raised to divert public attention and divide the people.”

Advocates Aqil Lodhi, Abdus Sattar Kazi, Mohammad Aqil, Sher Mohammad Hassan, Mahmoodul Hasan, Shafi Mohammad Chandio, Ali Mohammad Dahiri, Muzaffar Leghari, Fazal Qadir Memon, Mohammad Siddique Khoso and Ayaz Soomro are among the signatories to the resolution.

BALOCHISTAN: By another resolution, the SBC condemned the military action at Kohlu and other areas of Balochistan. Aircraft and helicopter gun-ships, it deplored, were being used against the Marri tribesmen in Kohlu district. The council demanded an immediate halt to the operation.

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/28/local3.htm

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KARACHI: Pakistan or Kalabagh Dam? Fahim asks rulers

KARACHI, Dec 27: Chairman of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and President of the Pakistan People’s Party-Parliamentarians Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said the rulers should now decide whether they want Pakistan or the Kalabagh Dam. “We will not accept constitutional guarantees from those who abrogate the constitution. The rulers are creating difficulties for the federation,” he said while talking to journalists at a wedding reception here on Monday night, adding that Gen Pervez Musharraf was not aware of facts.”

Makhdoom Fahim alleged that the country was being put at stake for the sake of irrigating 68,000 acres of land belonging to armed forces personnel in Cholistan.

In reply to a question, he said he respected PML-F chief Pir Pagara, but he the Hur leader should not support the scheme (Kalabagh dam) for the sake of irrigating his followers’ lands as this project was bound to turn Sindh into a desert.

Responding to another question, he maintained that he had seen Wapda reports which estimated the life span of Kalabagh Dam at 15-20 years, whereas that of Skardu Dam appeared to be 100 years. --PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/28/local4.htm

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Minister supports Bhasha dam

SHIKARPUR, Dec 28: Federal Minister for Narcotics Ghous Bux Mahar has said that Sindh has been deprived of its due share of water for years and added that a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the province.

Talking to newsmen at a breakfast hosted by the District Nazim, Mohammad Arif Mahar, in honour of the newly-elected District Naib Nazim, Taqi Abbas Kamario, and members of the district council here at district council lawn on Wednesday, he said that Sindh was an agricultural-based province and its 70 per cent population earned its livelihood through this sector, which could be possible only if their lands were given proper water.

To a question, the minister supported the construction of Bhasha dam on the condition of handing over its control to Sindh and addressing the grievances of the province.

He demanded that the agreement be reached to the the satisfaction of the people of Sindh.

He opposed the construction of any barrage or canal on the left bank of Indus River.—Correspondent

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/29/nat34.htm

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Protest against Kalabagh dam

Dawn Report

HYDERABAD, Dec 28: Activists of the Sindh National Party held a protest demonstration outside the press club here on Wednesday against the Kalabagh dam and the military operation in Balochistan.

Speaking on the occasion, they criticized the Balochistan operation and the Kalabagh project. They claimed that even the common man of Punjab was against the Kalabagh dam.

They demanded that Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal projects should be shelved, operation in Balochistan should be ended, Khokhrapar route should not be opened, provinces should be given provincial autonomy in accordance with the 1940 Resolution and JSMM leaders and other political activists should be released. (talk about losing focus here!)

Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz activists also held a demonstration outside the press club against the military operation in Balochistan and continued detention of party leaders.

The protesters, including women and children, raised slogans against the operation in Balochistan and the alleged crackdown on party activists. They also carried banners against the Kalabagh dam.

Speaking on the occasion, Shahnawaz Bhutto, Asif Bhutto and others said whereabouts of JSMM leaders Muzaffar Bhutto, Sattar Hakro, Ahmad Khan Keerio, Zulfiqar Khaskheli and Mehran Mallah arrested 80 days ago were not known.

They condemned the operation in Balochistan and expressed solidarity with the people of the province.

They appealed to leaders of nationalist parties and human rights organizations to save lives of the JSMM leaders who were being held incommunicado.

NAWABSHAH: Activists of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and the Jeay Sindh Students Federation took out a procession against the Kalabagh dam here on Wednesday.

The procession started from the Quaid-i-Awam University and terminated outside the press club.

The protesters said people of Sindh had rejected the Kalabagh dam and those supporting the project were traitors.

They appreciated the decision of journalists who quit their newspaper favouring the Kalabagh dam.

They said they would continue their peaceful struggle for rights of Sindh.

KHAIRPUR: The Jeay Sindh Students Federation and the Sindhi Adabi Sangat of the Shah Abdul Latif University took out a procession here on Wednesday against the proposed construction of the Kalabagh dam and the army operation in Balochistan.

The procession started from the National Highway and after marching through various roads reached the Panj Gola chowk, where the protesters held a demonstration.

DADU: Hundreds of activists of the JSQM and the JSSF staged a protest demonstration outside the local press club on Wednesday against proposed construction of the Kalabagh dam and the greater Thal canal.

Speaking on the occasion, the protesters said they would not accept any dam on the Indus river.

They announced to continue their protest unless their demand was met.

Later, they observed a token hunger strike.

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/29/nat31.htm

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Govt urged to give up dam plan

QUETTA, Dec 28: The Sindhi Adabi Sangat has demanded of the government to give up the idea of constructing the Kalabagh dam owing to the shortage of water in the Indus river.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, Dr. Altaf Hussain, councillor of the literary forum, said that the IRSA and Senate’s Standing Committee for Water and Resources had rejected the Kalabagh dam project in 1996 and 1998 respectively.

Dr Altaf said that according to constitutional requirements the Wapda authority should have filed an appeal in the Council of Common Interest against the rejection of the project by the IRSA.—Correspondent

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/29/nat13.htm

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Wapda team briefs MMA on dams

By Our Staff Reporter

LAHORE, Dec 28: Wapda chairman Tariq Hameed along with a technical team gave a briefing to the MMA’s Punjab Council at Mansoora here on Wednesday as the alliance demanded setting up of the Council of Common Interests for taking a decision on water reservoirs.

MMA president Qazi Husain Ahmad was also present.

Alliance’s Punjab president Liaquat Baloch told reporters later that the Wapda team briefed them on feasibilities and capacities of three proposed dams —- Kalabagh, Bhasha and Akhori.

He said during the briefing the Wapda team declared that apprehensions of the other provinces could be removed.

The MMA, he said, demanded that the government should constitute the CCI to remove apprehensions of the other provinces besides taking parliament into confidence on the issue.

The water reservoirs and cheap electricity were urgent needs of the country but Gen Musharraf was hindering the development of a national consensus on the issue, he said, adding the alliance believed that unless Gen Musharraf was removed, national solidarity and unity could not be strengthened.

He said the MMA would hold a joint meeting of all opposition parties to share the information given by the Wapda team especially with the leaders from smaller provinces so that views of both sides could be heard for developing a national consensus on the issue.

On Balochistan problem, Mr Baloch said the MMA demanded immediate halt to the ongoing army operation and peaceful means to settle the issue.

He demanded that recommendations of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan should be implemented to peacefully end the present deadlock.

About the proposed mixed marathon in Lahore, he warned that the MMA would launch a protest campaign severer than those witnessed in the past.

Condemning arrests and cases against ulema, the MMA said expulsion of foreign students was a cruel step by the government.

The meeting rejected the show of hands method adopted for electing naib nazims for tehsil and district councils as mockery of democracy and violation of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court was urged to take a suo moto of it.

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/29/nat8.htm

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PML ‘divided’ over KBD

By Amjad Mahmood

LAHORE, Dec 28: The ruling PML is facing opposition within the party on the Kalabagh dam issue and is unlikely to table a resolution in parliament fearing defeat.

There are many PML senators and MNAs, who had voted against the project as MPAs in the past.

The party is divided even in its citadel —- Punjab —- as more and more MPs from the province are of the view that execution of the project in the present political atmosphere will be a blow to the federation, said party officials requesting anonymity.

The “high command” went a step further by directing withdrawal of a resolution in support of the dam that was to be taken up by the Punjab executive council of the party in its meeting held on Dec 16-18 which was also attended by the chief minister, the officials said.

The same forum had adopted the resolution in its last meeting held in September 2004.

The high-ups showed their displeasure when the PML Lawyers’ Wing adopted such a resolution at a meeting in the city last week, fearing such a step would add to the animosity against Punjab, they said.

The officials said that there was also apprehensions among the MPs that the political imbroglio in the wake of Kalabagh dam could be used by the powers-that-be to wrap up the assemblies.

These people argued that Gen Musharraf’s statement in Karachi that Punjab would topple the ruler who would oppose the water reservoir was meant to amplify misunderstandings against the province for creating the situation needed to dissolve the legislatures.

And why did the government choose to launch an army operation in Kohlu at a time when announcement for work on the dam was to be made? they questioned.

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/29/nat6.htm

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ANP vows to oppose Kalabagh Dam

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: The Awami National Party (ANP) has said Kalabagh Dam is a matter of life and death for the people of NWFP and they will stop its construction at any cost.

Speaking to reporters in the cafeteria of Parliament House on Wednesday, Information Secretary of the party Zahid Khan said the people of the NWFP would participate in an anti-Kalabagh Dam rally on Thursday to prove that they were totally against the project.

He said women and children would also take part in the protest rally which would be held at Jahangira near Nowshera. He said the ANP had invited all political and religious parties to the rally. (so when a rally is for recreational purposes, and is called a Marathon, the women and children are beaten with sticks if they participate. But now when its for their political motives, these hypocritical bastards of NWFP want to bring the women and children out! talk about two faced beliefs!)

Mr Khan said they were trying to save Pakistan while the rulers wanted to damage the country’s integrity. He criticized Gen Pervez Musharraf for what he said pitting Punjab against three smaller provinces.

http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/29/nat4.htm

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