HYDERABAD Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz chairman Basheer Khan Qureshi said on Sunday that because of Sindh government's lack of interest in the July 24 attempt on his life during an attack on his party's rally, the JSQM was justified in saying that the PPP government was part of the conspiracy.

He expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation into the incident and announced a plan of protest demonstrations and rallies in the district headquarters in Sindh on Aug 21.

Addressing a news conference at the local press club, Mr Qureshi blamed the ISI for the July 24 attack and said this was a cowardly act to stem the tide of popularity of the JSQM among the masses of Sindh.

He said that JSQM activists had handed over the assailant to the government, which could have exposed the assassins of other political leaders by properly investigating the July 24 attack.

He said it appeared that the PPP government was either not interested in the case or it was helpless. He alleged that the lack of interest indicated that the government was part of the conspiracy.

Mr Qureshi said that the government would have to expose the conspirators to get itself exonerated. He added that the government should hold a transparent and serious investigation (into the incident) as soon as possible.

He said that the JSQM had handed over the assailants' visiting cards to the government and with the help of the cards the government should disclose the 'force' which was behind the attack.

He said that the interim challan of the case, lodged with Malir Cantonment police station, had been submitted but the accused had not been properly interrogated. Rather, he alleged, the accused were being provided facilities and protocol normally given only to a government officer.

The JSQM leader said that the investigating officer of the case addressed the accused as 'Sir'.

He described the July 24 attack as a conspiracy to foment ethic riots 'because the incident took place in a Pakhtoon-dominated locality of Karachi'.

Had the conspiracy succeeded large-scale killings would have taken place in the event of his death and the PPP government would have been ousted because it was bound to face the consequences', said the nationalist leader.

He reminded the government that the 'agencies' were answerable to it and, therefore, it should put them in the dock.

He said that the forces behind the attempt on his life were responsible for the assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto.

'We don't agree with those nationalist leaders who hold the Urdu-speaking people responsible for the problems of Sindh. They [Urdu-speaking people] are sons of the soil and are with the Sindhi people', he said.

He thanked the political forces which had condemned the incident, particularly Baloch Republican Party leader Brahamdagh Bugti for offering support to him and said that he reciprocated the feeling and backed the Baloch national struggle.

He said that the JSQM believed in non-violence which was the philosophy of G.M. Syed, the founder of the Jeay Sindh movement.