KARACHI: The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and the Save Indus River Movement (SIRM) have announced a protest march to be held in Hyderabad on April 19 against controversial canals project.

GDA Sindh Chief Coordinator and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s Sindh President Syed Sardaruddin Shah Rashdi, along with other leaders, made the announcement at a press conference here on Friday.

They said the march was aimed at intensifying their struggle against the federal plan to draw six new canals from the Indus River.

They said water was a matter of life and death for the people of Sindh, and vowed not to allow the controversial canals to be built under any circumstances.

They demanded that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Asif Ali Zardari apologise for ‘lying to and deceiving the people of Sindh’.

The GDA and SIRM leaders also emphasised that the solution to the Balochistan issue was in handing over powers to the real tribal leaders and people. They also demanded a level-playing field in the Umerkot by-election, announcing a historic rally there on April 15.

The leaders who addressed the presser included Dr Fehmida Mirza, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Asadullah Bhutto, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Masroor Sial and Riaz Chandio.

Earlier, a joint meeting of the GDA and SIRM was held under the chairmanship of Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashdi.

Among others Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Junior, the son of slain politician Mir Murtaza Bhutto and the only paternal grandson of late prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, also attended it.

He announced full support for the GDA and SIRM’s struggle against the controversial canals, stating that the construction of those canals posed a direct threat to the Sindh’s survival. He emphasised the need for all conscious citizens to wake up and take action.

Rashdi said the project would create immense problems for Sindh’s farmers and turn the fertile lands barren.

Warning that the corporate farming project would collapse, he vowed to challenge the proposed canals at every forum.

Regarding the Umerkot by-election, Rashdi said the GDA would participate actively in it, hinting at a positive change following the by-polls.

The GDA leader also criticised the situation in Balochistan, stating that real tribal leaders had been sidelined and fake ones given powers. The solution, he said, lay in returning powers to the true representatives of the people.

Dr Fehmida Mirza said the GDA was the first to raise the issue of the controversial canals and now the message had spread to every home.

She warned that if the canals were built, whole Sindh would be affected, even Karachi and Hyderabad would face a drinking water crisis.

“Protests would continue unless the canal project is stopped. A massive demonstration would be held in Karachi,” she announced.

Syed Zain Shah said the SIRM was actively campaigning against the canals.

Asadullah Bhutto declared that they would even sacrifice their lives to resolve the water issue in Sindh. He also demanded an apology from President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP.

Dr Safdar Abbasi described the Umerkot by-election as significant, claiming that if the polls were held transparent, their alliance would emerge victorious.

He accused the Sindh chief minister of violating election rules by visiting Umerkot twice on one pretext or the other, and said political victimisation and police harassment continued in their areas.

Riaz Chandio stated that every child in Sindh would protect the Indus River and that they would never allow construction of the controversial canals.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2025