LARKANA/HYDERABAD: Larkana District Bar Association, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Sindh Chamber of Agriculture on Wednesday reiterated their opposition to federal government’s plans for the construction of six ‘strategic’ canals on Indus River.

They demanded water audit to determine actual amount of water available in the country and wondered when the system did not have enough water what was the purpose of building new canals, which could threaten unity of the federation.

In Larkana, lawyers under the banner of DBA took to the streets after suspending work in courts. Mohammad Ismil Abro, Javed Buledi, Ghulam Mustafa Magsi, Ms Kulsoom Chandio, president, vice president, general secretary and treasurer of DBA, respectively, led a procession against the six canals and 26th Amendment.

They converged at the main gate of Jinnahbagh where the leaders said the canals projects would ruin Sindh’s land and cause drought like conditions in the province.

Larkana DBA, JUI-F, chamber warn new canals could threaten unity of the federation

They said that they would not allow anyone to rob Sindh of its water share and the construction of canals would lead to ‘genocide’ of population.

They said that President Asif Ai Zardari could have rejected the six canals’ project with one jerk of pen if he had truly wanted to.

They that the legal fraternity was determined to even march on Islamabad and get their protest registered on the burning issue. They called for a halt to the canals project.

Lawyers also held demonstrations outside local press club in Ratodero to voice protest against the canals. A group of Sufi singers also held a demonstration in Nasirabad.

JUI-F to launch protest drive on 14th

The JUI-F Sindh chapter’s executive committee held an online meeting with the party’s provincial emir Abdul Qayoom Halejvi on Wednesday which decided to launch a campaign against the construction of canals and fragile law and order conditions in Sindh from March 14.

Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro, general secretary JUI-F Sindh, said in a video message on the district office bearers would hold press conferences in their respective headquarters to convey people the message regarding the canals and their after effects and deteriorating law and order in the province.

He said the protest would be held under the slogan of ‘Save Sindu Save Sindh’ on all bridges on the Indus in Sindh from Guddu to Thatta-Sujawal bridge to register their disapproval of the canals projects and protest crumbling law and order.

He said that demonstrations would be held in different districts from April 9 to 29th to reject the canals. A fatwa against the canals project would be announced within three days, he said.

Growers’ body rejects canals

The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture has urged federal government to cancel notification for six canal projects including Cholistan Canal and projects under Green Pakistan Initiative as they threatened unity of federation.

SCA president Syed Zainul Abideen Shah said in a statement issued on Wednesday that Sindh government should get a resolution passed in Sindh Assembly against the anti-Sindh canals.

He said that 50 million people of Sindh considered Cholistan and all five canal projects as a serious threat to their existence.

He said that people of Sindh would continue protesting until federal government issued a notification shelving all six canal projects including Cholistan Canal.

As Kharif season began, he said, depletion of water in major reservoirs of the country, Mangla and Tarbela dams, and lack of irrigation water even for drinking purposes had created a severe drought-like situation in Sindh.

He warned if there was already severe water shortage, the situation would only worsen in future. The federal government must realize gravity of this situation as people of Sindh believed if the canals were constructed on Indus, Sindh would turn into a wasteland, he said.

He demanded water audit to determine actual amount of water available in the country and wondered when the system did not have enough water what was the purpose of building new canals on Indus, which would threaten unity of the federation.

In Khapur Mahar, Ghotki district, a big procession was taken out by Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Awami Parkar Party, Hindu Meghwar Panchayat, Hindu Young Generation, Primary Teachers’ Association, civil society, students and teachers against the six canals.

The protesters demanded the federal government immediately shelve the decision to build canals on the river and warned if this anti-Sindh project was not stopped, millions of Sindhis would take to the streets.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025