Protests Persist in Sindh Over Canal Project Despite PM’s Assurances

Despite assurances from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding consensus on new canal construction, demonstrations continue across Sindh against the federal government’s contentious plan involving six canals originating from the Indus River.

Lawyers, nationalist factions, civil society advocates, and political figures are maintaining sit-ins and strikes across numerous districts, insisting on formal abandonment of the project via an official notification.

Ongoing Demonstrations

In Khairpur, the lawyers’ protest at Babarlu Bypass, located on the National Highway, reached its eighth day on Friday, with participation from bar councils throughout Sindh.

Leaders from the Khairpur Bar reiterated their demand for an official notification to cancel the project, cautioning that demonstrations will persist until this occurs.

Karachi experienced significant disruption as the Sindh Bar Council’s province-wide strike continued, with courtroom lockouts at the city court entering their fourth day.

Numerous hearings were postponed, and many prisoners awaiting trial were not presented in court, causing problems for litigants. Proceedings at the Sindh High Court, however, proceeded without interruption.

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Karachi Bar Association has issued a warning that protests will continue until the canal construction notification is rescinded.

Additionally, lawyers organized a demonstration on MA Jinnah Road, causing traffic disturbances before concluding their protest.

In Ghotki, major highways and border crossings linking Sindh and Punjab remained closed, with ongoing sit-ins on the National Highway at Daharki and Kamo Shaheed, now in their sixth and third days, respectively.

The transportation of goods across the provincial border has been severely affected for almost a week, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded. A member of the Sindh Bar Council commented, “All routes from Punjab to Sindh are blocked. Our intention is not to trouble the local population.”

The sit-in conducted by nationalist groups at Gahi Mahesar Chowk on the Indus Highway in Mehar ended as traffic between Karachi and Larkana was restored.

However, a simultaneous protest organized by the Muttahida Dehaat Ittehad in Dadu saw participation from lawyers, civil society members, and farmers, including officials from the Bar Association.

In Hyderabad, the Hyderabad Union of Journalists established a protest camp outside the Press Club, attracting speakers from Sindh’s political, social, literary, agricultural, and business sectors.

Attendees expressed disapproval of perceived Indian water aggression and requested the nullification of both the canal and corporate farming projects. They affirmed that the cancellation notification must be jointly endorsed by the President and Prime Minister.

Among the speakers were notable figures such as Maula Bux Chandio (PPP), Advisor Abdul Jabbar Khan, journalist Jami Chandio, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Sahibzada Zubair (Milli Yakjehti Council), businessman Adeel Siddiqui, among others.

They emphasized that the water issue has implications for everyone who relies on the River Indus.

Political Developments

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

During a joint press briefing, the Prime Minister announced that canal construction would only proceed with consensus within the Council of Common Interests (CCI). He verified that the upcoming CCI meeting on May 2 would formally ratify the agreement reached with the PPP.

This agreement followed heightened tensions between the PPP and PML-N, with the PPP alleging that the federal government was compromising Sindh’s water entitlements through unilateral canal development.

Bilawal, alongside Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for acknowledging the PPP’s concerns, reaffirming that no project would progress without provincial consensus.

CM Shah described the agreement as a “significant victory,” asserting that the PPP had consistently argued that the project was detrimental to Sindh’s interests. He welcomed the scheduled CCI meeting and voiced confidence that the project would be officially terminated.

The debated plan to divert six new canals from the Indus River initially drew national attention earlier this year when Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz introduced the Green Pakistan Initiative in Cholistan, instigating concerns about water scarcity in Sindh.

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

Although the federal government has indicated a willingness to reconsider the canal plan, protesters across Sindh remain unconvinced, maintaining that only a formal cancellation notification signed by both the prime minister and president will conclude the movement.