SUKKUR: A large number of farmers and growers staged a demonstration here on Tuesday in front of the house of Federal Minister for Water Resources Syed Khursheed Shah in protest against non-supply of water for irrigation in Khairpur district.

The protesters raised slogans against the federal government and Mr Shah, who is also senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, over closure of the canals irrigating lands in Khairpur.

After recording the protest, they blocked the nearby bypass, suspending vehicular traffic for a long time. They raised charged slogans: “Give water, save Sindh”.

Talking to reporters, the protesters accused the federal government of creating an artificial shortage of water and depriving Sindh of its share. They said federal and provincial ministers were doing nothing for resolving the issue of water; they were busy in giving only statements.

PTI rally

Workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf here took out a rally from the Insaf House to Sukkur Barrage while raising slogans against the “imported government” for what they said creating water crisis in Pakistan.

Carrying party flags, the protesters alleged that the federal government was destroying crops. The shortage would cause a heavy blow to the national economy if water was not released immediately into the rivers irrigating lands across the country.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2022