THATTA, April 19: The leader of Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, has said the government has miserably failed to maintain law and order which is evident from the recent killing of ulema in Nishtar Park and urged the rulers to resign.

Talking to newsmen here on Wednesday, the PPP leader claimed that categorical statements made by the political groups targeted in the blast had exposed the hidden hands behind the incident, while the rulers were trying to conceal the crimes of its coalition partner.

He said the forum of Sindh Assembly had proved to be unproductive for the people of Sindh and the rulers were engaged in hatching conspiracies to create more districts to divide the population and achieve their designs.

He said the national exchequer had sustained an unprecedented loss by disposing of Pakistan Steel at a throwaway price of Rs22 billion against its real worth which was Rs95 billion. He said Rs61 billion was suggested to be allocated for defence whereas only a meagre amount of Rs5 billion was earmarked for development schemes.

Mr Khuhro said had the government not scrapped projects like Keti Bunder, fish harbour and coal-fired power plants in coastal belt, the economic situation of Thatta and Badin would have been different.

He said the rising graph of poverty, illiteracy, lawlessness, terrorism, and an ill-conceived development plan, besides loot and plunder coupled with an unwise foreign policy have brought the country to the brink of disaster.

He said bifurcation of Thatta district was also a conspiracy to accommodate and appease the coalition partners but People’s Party will not remain a silent spectator.

CIVILISED PRISONER: Polite, civilised and friendly behaviour of over one dozen under-trail prisoners, mostly said to be notorious outlaws, greatly impressed the passengers of a packed Thatta-bound coaster on Hyderabad-Thatta highway on Wednesday forenoon. According to an eye-witness account, a prison van taking the inmates to courts in Thatta, turned turtle while negotiating a blind curve on the National Highway near Jherruk. Police wireless system blared and two police mobiles from Thatta headquarters rushed to the site.

The police, on reaching the site, stopped a packed coaster and started dragging out the passengers, mostly women and children out of the vehicle rudely to shift the prisoners to the coach.

The humiliating attitude of the police, particularly with the women passengers, angered the prisoners, who warned the police of retaliation if it continued to behave in that manner.

Meanwhile, another prison van was called in from police line. The police officials on insistence of the prisoners, apologised to the coach passengers and allowed the coach to take the passengers, while a crowd of villagers, who had gathered at the site, appreciated the attitude of under-trail prisoners with the public and the incident turned to be the talk of the town.