Protests Continue in Sindh Over Federal Canal Project Despite Assurances

Despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assurances regarding consensus on new canal constructions, demonstrations persist throughout Sindh against the federal government’s contentious proposal to construct six canals originating from the Indus River.

Legal professionals, nationalist factions, civic bodies, and political figures are maintaining sit-ins and conducting strikes across numerous districts, demanding formal revocation of the project through a legally binding announcement.

Ongoing Demonstrations

In Khairpur, the lawyers’ sit-in, staged at Babarlu Bypass on the National Highway, reached its eighth day on Friday, with extensive participation from bar councils province-wide.

Leaders from the Khairpur Bar reiterated their call for an official notification that cancels the project, cautioning that the protests would only cease upon its issuance.

Karachi also experienced significant disruptions as the Sindh Bar Council continued its province-wide strike. Courtroom lockouts at the city courts entered their fourth day.

Numerous hearings were postponed, and the absence of undertrial prisoners in court caused considerable inconvenience for litigants. Sindh High Court proceedings, however, remained unaffected and continued without interruption.

The Karachi Bar Association has communicated that the protests will continue until the canal construction notification is rescinded.

Additionally, lawyers conducted a demonstration on MA Jinnah Road, interrupting traffic before concluding their rally.

In Ghotki, vital highways and border crossings connecting Sindh and Punjab are still closed, with two significant sit-ins ongoing on the National Highway at Daharki and Kamo Shaheed, marking their sixth and third days, respectively.

The movement of goods across the provincial border has been halted for close to a week, resulting in hundreds of stranded vehicles. A Sindh Bar Council representative stated, “All routes from Punjab to Sindh are blocked. Our aim is not to inconvenience the local people.”

A sit-in organized by nationalist groups at Gahi Mahesar Chowk on the Indus Highway in Mehar concluded, leading to the resumption of traffic flow between Karachi and Larkana.

However, a concurrent protest in Dadu, organized by Muttahida Dehaat Ittehad, involved lawyers, civil society members, and farmers, including Bar Association officials.

In Hyderabad, the Hyderabad Union of Journalists hosted a protest camp outside the Press Club, drawing a diverse array of speakers representing Sindh’s political, social, literary, agricultural, and commercial sectors.

Participants denounced perceived Indian water aggression and called for the dismissal of both the canal and corporate farming ventures, stipulating that the revocation announcement must be jointly endorsed by the President and Prime Minister.

Speakers included notable figures like Maula Bux Chandio (PPP), Advisor Abdul Jabbar Khan, journalist Jami Chandio, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Sahibzada Zubair (Milli Yakjehti Council), and businessman Adeel Siddiqui.

They emphasized the broad impact of water issues on everyone who uses the Indus River.

Government Response

The ongoing demonstrations follow a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday between PM Shehbaz and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, which aimed to address the increasing unrest in Sindh.

During a joint press briefing, the Prime Minister declared that no new canals would be developed without the consensus of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). He affirmed that the upcoming CCI session on May 2 would formally validate the agreement reached with the PPP.

This development occurred after growing friction between the PPP and PML-N, with the PPP alleging that the federal government was compromising Sindh’s water entitlements through unilateral canal construction.

Bilawal, along with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for acknowledging the PPP’s concerns and reiterated that no project would proceed without provincial consensus.

CM Shah characterized the agreement as a “significant win”, noting the PPP’s consistent stance that the project conflicted with Sindh’s interests. He welcomed the scheduled CCI meeting and voiced confidence that the project would be officially cancelled.

The contested proposal to divert six new canals from the Indus River first gained attention earlier this year when Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz introduced the Green Pakistan Initiative in Cholistan, triggering concerns about water shortages in Sindh.

In March, the Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the project, while nationalist parties, including the Grand Democratic Alliance, organized mass demonstrations in Karachi, Sukkur, Nawabshah, and Daharki.

Despite indications from the federal government that it might reconsider the canal project, protestors in Sindh remain skeptical, maintaining that only an official cancellation notification, co-signed by both the Prime Minister and President, will conclude their movement.