SUKKUR May 10: Sindh Works and Services Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that the Pakistan Muslim League has not invited the National Alliance and the Sindh Democratic Alliance to its general council meeting scheduled for May 12 in Islamabad.

He said this while talking to journalists at the circuit house here on Monday. "How can you say that we, the members of the National Alliance and the Sindh Democratic Alliance, are Muslim Leaguers and working under the leadership of Sindh PML president Ali Mohammad Mahar?", Dr Rahim asked and added that the leadership of the SDA and the NA had agreed in principle to join the Muslim League.

When asked about differences among PML leaders, the minister declined to comment on the issue. The minister said that he had come to Sukkur to give information about development works being carried out by his department and not to talk on politics.

He said that the Sindh government was spending a huge amount to lay a network of 1,200-kilometre roads in the province to connect backward areas with cities and towns.

He said that construction of five bridges on the River Indus at different places was also being proposed to the federal government. He observed that this would give a boost to economic activities in Sindh.

Dr Rahim further said that repair and widening of roads from Kumb to Nawabshah, Thatta to Sujawal and Sehwan to Larkana was also in progress. Apart from this, he said, Rs990 millions was being spent on 52 development schemes during the current financial year.

The minister said that a package of road schemes had also been demanded from the federal government to improve not only existing roads but also construct new roads along both sides of the Indus.

KIDNAPPED: Two students of the Mono Technical College were kidnapped by some eight armed bandits from the college hostel in the Site area here late on Sunday night.