KARACHI, 22 December 2005 — In an interesting turn of event, the federal government received a setback on the first day of its media campaign in favor of big reservoirs, including the Kalabagh Dam, when no Sindhi newspaper published its advertisements.

Newspapers published in other languages printed the government’s advertisement in favor of the Kalabagh and Bhasha dams, but not a single Sindhi newspaper carried them. Some newspapers that had already formed a “Sindhi Media Forum” had announced that they would not carry such advertisements but other papers, including a leading Sindhi newspaper, did not carry them either.

When contacted, the chairman of the forum and editor of daily Tameer-e-Sindh, Qazi Shah Muhammad, said that as an agricultural society, they could not afford advertisements in favor of the Kalabagh Dam that has remained the most controversial project in Sindh.

To a question, he said that while not all Sindhi papers were part of the forum, it was good that none of them had published the advertisement in favor of the Kalabagh Dam.

The general secretary of the forum and editor of daily Awami Awaz, Dr. Jabbar Khattak, said that they had not accepted the government’s advertisement, as its contents were contrary to its factual position.

“It could be an act of misguiding the public,” he said.

“We don’t publish the advertisements of quacks either as we consider them harmful for human health,” he argued.

Meanwhile, the opposition has not invited members of the ruling parties to attend the anti-Kalabagh Dam rally scheduled for today due to their “loyalty” to President Pervez Musharraf is “intact”.

“The ruling parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, should choose between Musharraf and the people,” Rashid Rabbani, president of the Karachi chapter of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) said.

Rabbani said the action committee had finalized arrangements to stage a rally today to protest the proposed Kalabagh Dam, which it called an “anti-federation” project.

“The rally will be staged come what may,” Rabbani said.