KARACHI, Feb 13: A meeting of civil society’s representatives on Friday demanded that the population showed not be the sole criterion for the National Finance Commission award and the provinces should be given control over their resources.

The meeting, organised by the Sindh Democratic Forum, further demanded that the 1991 water accord be implemented properly, and audit should be conducted of all local government bodies, particularly of Karachi and Hyderabad, and those which received most funds during the government of retired Gen Pervez Musharraf.

They also criticised the government for joining hands with what they described as shady characters in the interior of Sindh and in Karachi in the name of reconciliation.

They said that the Pakistan People’s Party by nominating people who have no relation with Sindh for the Senate seats had humiliated the Sindhi people who voted it into power.

They also criticised the provincial government, saying that law and order, education, health, etc were purely provincial subjects and their deteriorated condition was the result of inefficiency of successive provincial governments.

Abid Soomro said that if teachers, doctors, police, nazims, and other departments were not working properly in the interior of Sindh, it was not because of some conspiracy of outsiders, but because of inefficiency and corruption of locals.

M. B. Naqvi said: “If the leadership of Punjab could go to other countries and sign agreements for development in their province; who is stopping the leaders of Sindh from doing the same in their province?”

Anis Haroon said that a new social contract between the provinces and the federation with more autonomy for provinces had to be negotiated.

Resources and finances of the province were being siphoned off and Sindh, according to a World Bank report, was becoming poorer, said Abrar Kazi.

MPA Farheen Mughal regretted that the opposition in the assembly was not playing its due role which was necessary for strengthening democracy.

MPA Humaira Alwani suggested that all provinces join hands to demand more autonomy from the federation.

Arif Hassan said that the country was suffering while almost all institutions had deteriorated. “Middlemen are exploiting artisans and farmers,” he added.

Naseer Memon, Nazeer Memon, Sumair Siraj, Zameer Ghumro, G.N. Mughal, Qamar Shahbaz, Muslim Shamim, Adam Malik, A.N.G. Kazi and others also spoke.