HYDERABAD, Aug 19: Hundreds of fishermen, including women, staged a sit-in on the Kotri Bridge here on Thursday to protest against non-release of water downstream Kotri and destruction of the Indus delta.

The sit-in continued for two hours due to which vehicular traffic from Hyderabad to Kotri remained suspended. Later, the fishermen, carrying banners and placards inscribed with different slogans, staged a march from the bridge to the Hyderabad Press Club.

Talking to the protesters outside the press club, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum chief Mohammad Ali Shah said the non-release of water downstream Kotri had destroyed the Indus delta.

He demanded that fishermen and growers affected by the situation should be paid compensation for the losses they had suffered. He said the struggle for the release of water would continue. He added that they would extend the scope of their protest up to Lahore and Islamabad.

Mr Shah said due to the acute shortage of water in the Indus delta, tens of thousands of people had migrated from the coastal belt and over one million acres of land had been swallowed up by sea. The others who spoke on the occasion included Saeed Baloch and Shafi Morgar.

DEMONSTRATION: The Ustad Dost Tehrik marched from the Government High School-1 to the press club in support of Sindh Education Minister Dr Hameeda Khuhro.

Masjid School Teachers Association president Amanullah Teghani and Mehran Elementary Teachers Association president Ismail Leghari led the protest. A large number of woman teachers were also present. Speaking on the occasion, the leaders of the Tehrik said an "anti-education" mafia had unleashed a false propaganda against the minister.

They said this group was hatching conspiracies against the minister who was highly educated and fully aware of problems of teachers and weaknesses in the educational system. They praised Dr Khuhro for her efforts to bring about improvement in the standard of education.

NIC: Former Sindh Law and Minority Affairs Minister Muzaffar Sadiq Bhatti has said the resolution of the Sindh Assembly granting right to Bengalis and Biharis to get National Identity Cards is in violation of the Pakistan Citizens Act and Rule, Sindh Permanent Residentship Act and Nadra rules.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, he claimed no foreigner could be issued an NIC under the law. He said by adopting such a resolution, the provincial assembly had damaged its credibility.

He said taking advantage of the absence of opposition members, who were busy in the Tharparkar by-election, the treasury benches approved the resolution, which he said was aimed at converting the indigenous population into a minority.

Mr Bhatti said Sindhi-speaking MPAs who voted for the resolution would be treated as enemies of the province. The Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party has also strongly reacted against the resolution.

Party spokesman Nandlal Malhi said the resolution tabled and adopted by Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal members was based on mala fide intentions. He said Sindh is would not accept the resolution.