RAHIM YAR KHAN, Aug 7: More than 1,000 farmers from Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad and Khanpur tehsils took out a protest rally here on Saturday to register their protest against the continuous closure of the Abbasia Link canal (ALC).

The protesters led by PPPP district president MPA Javaid Akbar Dhiloon, PML-N MPA Ch Shafique and PPPP MPA Sheikh Aziz Aslam were holding banners and chanted slogans against district Nazim Ahmad Mahmood, Chief Minister's adviser Jahangir Tareen and irrigation department.

The Abbasia Link Canal system was built more than a decade ago at a cost of over Rs5 billion under the Scarp project to meet water needs of Pacca area (eastern belt of the district falling in the three tehsils where subsoil water is not fit for irrigation). It was to be fed from the gigantic Punjnad canal. However, powerful landlords whose lands are in the command area of the Punjnad canal prevailed upon the government. For over a decade they have succeeded that Punjnad canal flowed to the benefit of their lands and at the expense of small growers of the pacca area.

But now the farmers have taken to roads to 'snatch their right'. Saturday's procession was their third during the last 10 days.

The rally started from Khanpur Adda Chowk and ended at the irrigation SE offices after passing through Shahi Road, Railway Chowk and Abbasia Road.

At Railway Chowk, MPA Javaid Akbar Dhiloon addressed the rally and termed the Abbasia Link canal closure a 'conspiracy' to keep farmers of the eastern belt starving. The canal, he said, should be declared as perennial.

He said the irrigation department had become a 'slave' to Mr Jahangir Tareen and Ahmad Mahmood. "The district nazim is using his influence only for his own interest.

He has built a network of metalled roads in his area for the smooth transportation of sugar cane cultivated on 12,000 acres of land of Jahangir Tareen who is his close relative. We will not allow Jahangir Tareen to seize the district resources in the form of corporate farming."

MPA Ch Shafique claimed that it had been decided in a high-level meeting of the CM, MPAs and irrigation department that Abbasia Link canal would be closed permanently.

MPA Sheikh Aziz Aslam said that the farmers would continue their struggle till their success. The protesters set Aug 14 as deadline for the government to solve this problem. "After this we will protest at national level."