SUKKUR, Sept 15: Activists of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) staged sit-ins on Qureshi Road and at the Regent railway crossing here on Wednesday to protest against the Wana operation and over the issue of the president's uniform.

A group of activists, led by Maulana Abdul Haq Mahar and Maulana Khuda Bukhsh Chachar, blocked Qureshi Road and raised slogans against the government and those who were in favor of the president's uniform.

Another group of activists, led by Sadruddin Indhar, took out a procession from the Jamia Hammadia, which, after passing through main roads, reached the railway crossing where the protestors staged the second sit-in.

Speaking on the occasion, the JUI-F leaders said that the Wana operation was harmful for the integrity of Pakistan and the president's uniform for the future of the country.

Criticizing the government, they said that it was carrying out the Wana operation to appease the USA. They demanded an immediate halt to the operation and urged the president to shed the army uniform in the larger interest of Pakistan.

NAZIM: District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said President Gen Pervez Musharraf should stay in power for another five years for continuity of his social, economic and political reforms.

Talking to this correspondent here on Wednesday, he praised Gen Musharraf for introducing the devolution of power plan which, according to him, had started paying dividends.

He observed that health, education, communication and other sectors had witnessed improvement under the new devolution system. The nazim also hailed the role of the president in the war on terrorism due to which the country had earned much respect.

About development of Sukkur, Mr Shah said efforts were being made to improve health, sanitation, drainage, water supply and road facilities over next three years. He said construction of a medical college building near the Abad bus terminal was likely to start next year.

He said one hundred ghost schools had been found in the district and a large number of ghost teachers had been suspended. The nazim said the district government had electrified 50 villages in 2003-04 and another 200 villages would be provided with electricity during the current financial year. He said the Sui Southern Gas Company had been requested for provision of gas to 25 villages of the district.

He said three child and mother care centres had been established in Old Sukkur, Panno Aqil and Sualeh Pat and an intensive care unit and a coronary care unit had been set up at the Sukkur Civil Hospital at a cost of Rs10 million.

Mr Shah said the iron and steel market and the food and grain market would soon be shifted to outskirts of Sukkur. He said a bridge at RD-186 in the Nara Canal area had recently been completed and opened for traffic.