DADU, Jan 7 Activists of social organisations and political parties staged a demonstration outside the press club on Sunday to protest against education officials of the district allegedly involved in embezzlement in School Management Committee (SMC) funds. They were led by Qaim Ali Siyal, Mohammad Ramzan Khushik, Inayat Ali Jamali, Maula Dad Lund and Dost Ali Zaur.

Addressing the rally, Qaim Ali Siyal said that Asian Development Bank had released Rs550 million for 1984 girls and boys primary schools of the district to improve the condition of school buildings. They alledged that officials of the education department, after a fixed commission, posted corrupt headmasters at main primary schools and embezzled allocated amount.

Inayat Ali Jamali alleged that the education officials had embezzled Rs25 to Rs30 million of the SMC funds during the last three years.

Gul Mohammad Joyo said that 150 primary schools in district were closed for many years while 50 of them were on papers, hence closures of schools was affecting literacy rate in district. He said that most of primary schools were closed in Johi taluka but education department officials were not taking steps to open them. The SMC committees, they demanded, should consist of social and well-reputed people. He said that Assistant District Education Officers (AEDOs) were posted on political grounds. He appealed to Sindh chief minister to conduct an impartial enquiry into the matter.

NAIK: Noted lawyer, senator Farooque H Naik has said that it will be legally, politically and morally wrong if the President General Pervez Musharraf was re-elected as president. He was talking to newsmen after addressing the district bar association here on Saturday.

On the occasion former Sindh law minister and a PPP leader Pir Mazharul Haq, President District Bar Association, Shafi Mohammad Memon, were also present. He said that PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto would return soon.

He said the government was not in a position to arrest Benazir Bhutto. He said that time was ripe for the President General Pervez Musharraf to quit one office. He said that President Pervez Musharraf has to hold free and fair elections and hand over the government to true representatives of the people through a democratic process.

CONTROL ROOMS: Jamshoro district government has decided to set up control rooms in Jamshoro, Kotri, Sehwan, Manjhand and Thana Bula Khan during Muharram to ensure law and order and keep a vigilant eye on the mourners’ procession routes.

DCO Dr. Mohammad Khawar Jamil directed a meeting of district government officials on Saturday to ensure that the control rooms remained functional round the clock.

He asked the DPO to seek cooperation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the maintenance of law and order during Muharram and taluka administrations to set up install water tanks along the processions’ routes.

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