SANA holds 29th annual convention in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO: Former Sindh provincial Minister and a prominent Pakistani play writer Noorul Huda Shah has said that contrary to plight of women in Sindh, the Sindhi women living in US are in much better condition and she is quite impressed by their living conditions.

Speaking as a key note speaker at 29th annual convention of Sindhi Association of North Americans (SANA) in San Francisco, California, Noorul Huda Shah said that she is compelled to express her gratitude towards Sindhi men, who, she said are not as bad as they were perceived.

She said that as a writer she presents what she observes in the society in order to highlight the bitter truth of the society. Describing the plight of Sindh land she said, it seems Sindhis are waiting for a messiah.

She said that educated Sindhis are exploiting the poor's of Sindh. She said that Sindh stands at same place where she saw it forty years ago. Ms. Shah criticized political and nationalist parties, while acknowledging their great struggle and fight against dictatorial regimes.

She said Sindhi leadership deserves the credit for current day democratic process in Pakistan. On the same token nationalists resistance to Kala Bagh dam and evils of MQM should be appreciated. However, the fights these nationalist parties are putting forward for others is not getting any appreciation and are not even acknowledged. These forces don't even care for issues of Sindhis, she added.

Ms Shah said if you visit a remote village of Sind you will see the feet of people as not any different from cows and cattle's feet. These people cannot recognize fruits from vegetables, a large number of people have not ever tasted a banana or other fruits. Hepatitis is very common in these areas where large number of people dies of it, they look pale in their eyes and due to lack of education they don't know what is for them in coming days.

Meanwhile, former Sind assembly speaker and ex MNA Syed Zafar Ali Shah speaking to the gathering claimed that Sindh Chief Minister is just a dummy and Mr. Owais Muzzaffar Tappi (President Asif zaradari’s brother) is behind all of the functioning of Sind Government who has kept the whole province as a captive.

He said that he left Pakistan People's Party because its leadership is involved in unacceptable activities.

Speaking to the convention, SANA's President Jameel Dawoodi said that the objective of SANA's annual convention is in line with welfare of people of Sind for which we work entire year to identify, inspect and implement projects of public welfare. He said that SANA is a nonpolitical welfare group and has no political inclination.

Other speakers addressed the convention includes Noorunisa, Aijaz Kolachi, Shahida Somro, Irshad Qazi, Eng Khalil Memon, Asim Qazi, Khalid Channa, Mansoor Sammoon, Safdar Qamar, Uwais Laghari, Zafar Agha, Engineer Khalid Memon, Ali Hasan Bhutto, Siraj ul Haque, Ejaz Turk, Shaukat Ansari, Tufail Memon, Salman Abro, Aziz Narejo, and others spoke at different sessions of the convention. Approximately five hundred delegates from USA and Canada attended the convention where local SANA leadership gave city tours to delegates from outside the city.

Civil society worker Mr. Mehboob Abbassi from Karachi, Writer Dr. Musrat Khawaja from Badin, Movie Director Sirajul Haq, Dr. Birma Jesrani Mr. Naromal, and Dr. Majida Siyal of Aga Khan Hospital and others flied from Karachi to attend the convention.

A musical evening was also hosted where Jameel Dawoodi's wife Fauzia Dawoodi also presented her performance.