HYDERABAD, July 15: Activists and leaders of different political parties staged a procession on Sunday in protest against the district government's policies with regard to Qasimabad taluka and vowed to resist what they called attempts by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to deprive indigenous people of their resources and rights.

The procession organised by the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party (STP) began from Rani Bagh and terminated at Naseem Nagar chowk. The organisers announced that an all-party conference would be convened at the end of current month on the issues of Qasimabad and Hyderabad (rural) talukas.

STP acting chairman, Dr. Abdul Hameed Memon, said that the party would resist attempts to enslave Sindhis in their homeland. If any party, which was signatory to the resolution of multi party conference, violated the pledge not to form a coalition government with MQM in future, it would have to face people's wrath, he said.

If the MQM continued to push indigenous people against the wall in Karachi, Hyderabad or any other city of the province at the behest of Gen Pervez Musharraf it would have to face strong resistance, he said

Ultimatum to the government over Kalabagh Dam and then over Balochistan operation proved just an eyewash by the MQM, which had emerged soaked in blood following May 12 tragedy in Karachi, he said.

Mr Memon demanded inquiry into the appointment of MQM workers in culture department, which he said was tantamount to depriving Sindhis of their representation.

He criticised the government's inefficiency in the wake of displacement of millions of people in floods. What one can say about relief for the flood-victims when the provincial or federal government have even failed to rescue them, he said.

He said that the fate of chief minister would be no different from Ayub Khoro, Qazi Fazlullah, and Jam Sadiq. If the district nazim deprived people of Qasimabad and rural talukas of their rights then he would not be able to sit in his office, he warned.

He also warned the representatives of Qasimabad taluka of people’s wrath if they did not desist from treachery.

MMA's Abdul Waheed Qureshi said that Pervez Musharraf and his agents had become tyrants for the people of tribal areas, Balochistan and Islamabad. He supported the movement for the rights of two talukas and said that people had become united to compel force rulers to flee.

Qasimabad Naib Nazim Ghulam Hyder Shahani said that the district nazim had withheld funds for development schemes and deprived the taluka of projects. He accused the nazim of reneging on a 13-point agreement he had earlier signed with them.

SNF’s Ayub Shar and ANP’s Haji Sher Zaman said that Pakistan People’s Party was again talking about becoming MQM’s ally forgetting the fact that blood had flowed in the streets in the wake of its 1988 PPP-MQM pact.

PPP once again wanted to give gifts of bodies to Qasimabad but people this time would not let the traitors to form the government.

ADVISER INSPECTS RELIEF WORK: Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Information Syed Hamid Hussain Abidi has said the journalists working in the interior of Sindh belonged to middle class and were performing their duties under great stress.