LARKANA, Jan 9: The federal government has agreed to hand over 128 protected monuments in Sindh to the provincial government. A meeting on the issue held recently between Federal Culture and Sports Secretary Jalil Abbas and Sindh Culture Secretary Mehtab Akbar Rashdi in Karachi, sources told Dawn here on Monday.

The federal government under the directive of President General Pervez Musharraf was ready to hand over the monuments to the Sindh government.

Sources in the department of archaeology told Dawn that Mr Jalil Abbas during his visit to Moenjodaro on December 31 pointed out poor maintenance of the site and lack of coordination between the site director and the federal department of archaeology and museums.

The federal secretary appointed Qasim Ali Qasim as a project director of the master plan for rehabilitation and culture tourism (MPRCT).

The new project director of the MPRCT on Monday visited the site and appointed four officers to assist him.

Enrico Fodde, the international site director was made technical consultant, Safdar Khan Pathan, former national site director was made programme technical officer, Mohammed Amin Sureshi, was made deputy director, Ali Hyder was appointed as conservation programme officer and Saeeduddin as programme officer.

HUNGER STRIKE: The Sindh Employees Alliance (SEA) continuing protest on Monday observed hunger strike outside the local press club and demanded action against the district coordination officer and the district revenue officer for registering fake FIRs against leaders of the SEA.