Protests Continue Over Canal Project, Disrupting Traffic in Sindh

The demonstration at Khairpur Baberlo bypass, protesting the contested canal initiative, reached its eleventh day on Monday, causing a suspension of traffic flow between Sindh and Punjab. Simultaneously, the protest near Daharki on the National Highway, specifically at Mangrio Pump, entered its ninth day.

Similar sit-ins are being conducted at Kamo Shaheed in Obaro and Gola Mor in Kandhkot, significantly impeding transportation between Sindh and Balochistan. Extensive vehicle queues have been reported on critical routes.

The Cholistan Canals issue has escalated into a major dispute between the Sindh government, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the federal government, headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The central government intends to develop six canals along the Indus River to provide irrigation to the Cholistan desert. This proposal faces opposition from its primary ally, the PPP, and various Sindh nationalist factions.

Government sources indicate that the Cholistan canal and system project is estimated to cost Rs211.4 billion. The scheme aims to convert thousands of acres of uncultivated land into agricultural areas, potentially bringing 400,000 acres under cultivation.

Almost all political and religious groups, nationalist organizations, and civil society bodies have organized widespread demonstrations throughout Sindh to voice their opposition to the debated project.

Despite the Council of Common Interests (CCI) convening on May 2—a result of the Centre’s decision to postpone the project due to strong opposition from the PPP—protests persist across the province involving lawyers, political parties, and various community segments.

The ongoing demonstrations include actions at two locations in Ghotki, where lawyers have maintained a sit-in for six days on the National Highway, marking the province’s boundary with Punjab.

In Karachi, a sit-in involving lawyers and other protesters continues on Gulshan-e-Hadid Link Road. Both lanes accessing and exiting the National Highway remain closed to vehicular traffic, according to traffic authorities.

Vehicles traveling from Karachi towards Thatta are being rerouted via the Port Qasim roundabout.

At Karachi’s City Court, lawyers are prolonging their protest against the canal project, keeping the gates shut to litigants for another day. Access to the court premises is currently limited to legal professionals.

The protesting lawyers have stated that the sit-in will continue until the official notification concerning the canal construction is rescinded. However, regular judicial activities are proceeding at the Sindh High Court.

Demonstrations have gained momentum in other cities such as Hyderabad, Thatta, Dadu, Matiari, Hala, and Nawabshah, triggered by instances of baton charges and tear gas usage by police against demonstrators in Malir, Kandhkot, and Padidan. Lawyers and political groups have responded by staging demonstrations to condemn the police actions.

Further intensifying the situation, the Lawyers Action Committee has declared the suspension of Sindh’s Law Minister Zia Lanjar’s membership from the Sindh Bar Council.

Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon addressed the ongoing situation, assuring that the contentious canal issue would be definitively addressed at the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting scheduled for May 2.

He urged all political entities and members of the legal community to cease their sit-ins and reopen the roadways that are currently blocked.