HYDERABAD, Nov 8: Speakers at a conference have accused the rulers of usurping natural and financial resources of Sindh and stressed the need for launching a joint struggle for resources and rights of the province.

The Sindh National Welfare Association had organized the Sindh National Conference on "Economic exploitation of Sindh and its impact on the society" here on Sunday night.

The conference constituted three committees - national economic committee, parliamentary committee and national coordination committee - to struggle for economic rights of Sindh.

In his presidential speech, noted scholar Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo said because of the advantage of larger population of a particular province, democracy could not take roots and that province was determined to impose its supremacy and hegemony in the country.

He warned that if justice was not ensured to all the provinces and nations, consequences would be disastrous.

He said people had opted for Pakistan in the light of the 1940 Resolution which guaranteed autonomy and sovereignty to the federating units.

Noted intellectual and agriculture expert M. H. Panhwar said education was the foundation stone of progress and development but education in Sindh had been destroyed. Stressing the need for increasing literacy rate, he said nothing could be achieved by raising hollow slogans.

The deputy opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman alleged that generals had always inflicted telling blows on democracy, adding that even today the country had 'controlled democracy'.

He said those who were supporting a president in uniform would be answerable to history.

Rejecting Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal projects and the proposed jirga law, the MPA said Sindh alone had exclusive right over its resources.

He appealed to political parties to discard their differences and launch a joint struggle for rights of Sindh.

He warned that if the rulers did not change their attitude, people would have no option but to launch a struggle for their rights.

People's Party Parliamentarians MPA Sassui Palijo observed that the lion's share of the budget was being spent on defence and added that all institutions were being controlled by the establishment.

She said even the coastal belt had been occupied by agencies and a civil war-like situation was prevailing in the country.

Ms Palijo was of the opinion that solution to all these problems lay in restoration of a true democracy.

The others who spoke on the occasion included PPP leader Jam Saqi, Sindh National Council leader Dr Dodo Maheri, Awami Tehrik leader Abrar Qazi, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz vice-chairman Dr Niaz Kalani, Sindh Adabi Sangat secretary-general Taj Joyo and MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio.

RESOLUTIONS: The conference adopted several resolutions, demanding that exclusive rights of Sindh should be accepted on its resources, no water projects be constructed on the River Indus, right of Sindh be acknowledged on the Indus waters and land reforms be introduced giving proprietary rights to landless peasants in the province. It further demanded that land allotted to retired army personnel should be taken back, no outsider be settled in Sindh, Rangers be sent back to protect borders and rights of fishing in the coastal belt be given to local fishermen.