Karachi: opposition parties stage sit-in, rally against canal project

KARACHI: The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a protest rally and sit-in outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday against the proposed construction of six new canals on the Indus River.

Addressing the protesters, opposition leaders criticised the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and urged Karachi residents to rise against the project.

GDA Information Secretary and Functional League Sindh General Secretary Sardar Abdul Rahim said that the PPP has always “relied on lies and deception.”

Earlier, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the Cholistan project on February 15 to irrigate land in South Punjab — a move that sparked strong protests and public concern in Sindh.

In March, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against the construction of six new canals on the Indus River, demanding that any such project be halted until an agreement is reached among all provinces.

Abdul Rahim said that the entire province — from Karachi to Kashmore — is protesting against the canal project. He said that those who have compromised Sindh’s interests have become a disgrace in the eyes of the people.

He appealed to the people of Karachi to stand up against what he described as the illegal extraction of water from the Indus through these canals.

He said that Karachi receives 85 per cent of its water from the Indus, and without downstream flow, the city’s water supply could collapse.

Rahim said that international organisations have also warned that Sindh’s water resources were drying up. He called on Karachi residents to unite with their Sindhi brothers to protect the Indus River.

“We are deeply concerned — Karachi will be severely impacted. If Karachi rises, the entire country will wake up,” he said.

PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh said that Sindh has risen against the canal project.

He accused President Asif Ali Zardari of personally taking responsibility for the construction of the canals. “The most powerful position in the federal government is held by Zardari,” he said.

Karachi Bar Council President Aamir Nawaz Warraich said that the council has passed a resolution against the illegal construction of canals on the Indus River.

“If Pakistan is to be saved, this canal project must be scrapped. Otherwise, the country’s integrity will be at risk,” he warned, adding that the legal fraternity’s protest would continue across Sindh until the notification was withdrawn.

, Functional League’s Karachi Zone Coordination Committee Convener Barrister Arshad Shar Baloch said the lifeline of Sindh is being snatched. He alleged that the approval for the canals came from Zardari, and now the PPP was shedding crocodile tears.