KARACHI: Rallies and demonstrations were held under the title of ‘Sindhu Darya Bachayo Tehreek (Save Indus River Movement)’ in almost all cities and towns of Sindh on Thursday in response to a call given by the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) — a conglomerate of 11 political, religious and nationalist entities – against proposed amendments to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act, 1992.

GDA termed the proposed amendments “death warrant for Sindh’, and totally rejected all moves in this regard.

GDA General Secretary Dr Safdar Abbasi led a big rally held in Larkana city. He told the participants that the proposed amendments tantamount to “death warrant for Sindh” and asked the government to shelve its plan.

The participants, carrying flags of their respective parties, banners and placards started their march from the Lahori regulator of the Rice Canal and marched through main roads in the city raising slogans against the plan. They finally converged outside the Larkana Press Club, where their leaders spoke to them.

Dr Safdar Abbasi, JUI-F Larkana district Amir Maulana Nasir Mehmood Soomro, Sindh United Party’s Dr Mazhar Mughal, Saddaruddin Bhatti, PTI’s Comrade Rauf Korai, JSM’s Athar Soomro and other leaders also spoke to the media and explained GDA’s position.

They alleged that the federal government in connivance with the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party had hatched a conspiracy to turn Sindh batten. After ruining Sindh under different conspiracies, they were now contemplating to amend the Irsa Act to rob away Sindh’s water share.

The leaders pointed out that the PPP-led Sindh government doled out 12,60,000 acres of its land under different tags and had now given its go-ahead for build six more canals over the Indus. This was bound to turn Sindh’s fertile lands barren and facilitate cultivation of other provinces’ lands, they said, and warned that the new canals would deal a severe blow to Sindh’s agriculture sector. They said that the people of Sindh would resist the plan tooth and nail.

Workers of JUI-F, PTI, PML-Functional, PPP-Workers, JI, Awami Jamhoori Party, SUP, JSM, Qaumi Awami Tahreek and various nationalist groups participated in the rally.

In Karachi, GDA Information Secretary Sardar Abdul Rahim of PML-F, PTI’s Advocate Ali Palh, JUI-F’s Qari Usman, JI’s Muslim Pervez, SUP’s Munir Haider Shah, QAT’s Ashfaq Chandio, AJP’s Ghulam Qamber Hajano, JSM’s Wazir Ahmed Sheikh and STP’s Khair Mohammad Magsi, along with Nasrullah Jalbani of the Karachi Bar Association, Arshad Shar Baloch, Raja Azhar and others led a big rally outside the local press club.

They described the proposed amendments to the Irsa Act as an anti-Sindh plan and accused the PPP of clandestinely supporting it.

“The entire province — right from Karachi to Kashmore — is protesting against the proposed amendments and the project of creating new canals over the Indus.

This movement will continue until these projects are stopped,” they said.

They said PPP’s double-dealing and hypocritical policies would not more be tolerated.

Sardar Rahim criticised President Asif Ali Zardari for his dubious role in the issue and his PPP for always acting against Sindh’s interests. He said PPP government had the track record of selling away Sindh’s interests, and vowed to rid the masses of the PPP rule very soon with the unity of all other parties as demonstrated on this day.

JI’s Muslim Pervez warned that the amendments would have disastrous consequences.

SUP’s Munir Haider Shah accused Asif Ali Zardari of having sold away Sindh on July 8 to save his rule and then bargaining over the river, the coast and even Zulfikarabad.

Addressing a rally outside the Hyderabad Press Club, STP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi also accused PPP of always bargaining over Sindh’s rights while it had been in power.

The rally started from Hyder Chowk and culminated at press club after passing through various roads.

Dr Magsi said that three canals were built over the Indus during Z.A. Bhutto’s rule and six more canals had now been planned when Asif Ali Zardari was in the presidency.

He said that by destroying Sindh, Punjab could not execute the ‘Green Punjab Initiative’. “The Indus River is the lifeline of Sindh and if its flows are stopped, then those in power will lose their rule,” he warned.

SUP leader Roshan Buriro said this rally “rejects the conspiracy hatched on July 8 at the presidency in the shape of the proposed amendments”.

“The six-canal project is more dangerous than Kalabagh dam,” he remarked.

He said Asif Zardari did what Zia or Musharraf failed to do.

JSQM leader Dr Niaz Kalani, AJP’s Laal Shah, JUI-F’s Maulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoon, Sindhiani Tehreek’s Zeenat Sammo, PML-F’s Rafiq Magsi and Mehboob Abro, JI’s Abdul Waheed Qureshi and other leaders also spoke.

A big procession was taken out from Shaheed Allah Bakhsh Soomro Park in Jacobabad on Thursday to strongly condemn the proposed amendments to the Irsa Act.

In response to GDA’s call for province-wide protests, leaders and activists of various political, religious and nationalist parties joined in the procession, which culminated outside the Jacobabad Press Club.

Addressing the participants, STP leaders Abdul Sattar Jagirani, Abdul Razzaq Lashari, Majeed Sarki and Nizam Mastoi; JUI-F district president Dr A.G. Ansari, PPP-SB’s Noor Mohammad Manjho, PML-F’s Maula Bakhsh Khoso, QAT’s G.M. Soomro, SUP’s Maqbool Ahmed Lashari, JSQM’s Ameer Ali Sarki, PTI’s Saddam Hussain Khoso and Mohammad Sharif Malghani deplored that the federal government was trying to steal Sindh’s water through the amendments. They rejected the move and also warned that the people of Sindh would never accept the six-canal project at any cost.

Similar rallies were taken out in different cities and towns of Kandhkot-Kashmore, Shikarpur and Ghotki districts.

Leaders, activists and supporters of GDA component parties took part in various protest rallies and demonstrations held in different cities and towns of Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushahro Feroze, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Badin districts on Thursday.

At a demonstration in Nawabshah, SUP leader Syed Zain Shah, JI’s S.A. Qureshi, JSQM’s Ali Raza Khaskheli, STP’s Nisar Keerio, NPP’s Comrade Ali Jaan Rind, PML-F’s Abdul Sattar Dahiri and Sindhi Adabi Sangat’s

Sattar Sunder and Bakshal Baghi voiced their strong opposition to the proposed amendments to the Irsa Act.

The participants, raising slogans against the amendments and six-canal project, started their march from Old Naka and assembled outside the local press club after passing through various thoroughfares.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024