HYDERABAD: Lawyers and nationalist party leaders across Sindh on Thursday rejected the federal government’s announcement to halt construction of six proposed canals on the Indus River, demanding complete cancellation instead. Sit-ins blocking key highways continue, with protesters vowing to escalate demonstrations if their demands are not met.
Despite the announcement following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, lawyers and civil society groups termed the statement ambiguous and insufficient. The Sindh United Party’s Syed Zain Shah warned the CCI platform may be used to barter one or two canals for more, while JUI-F’s Allama Rashid Mehmood Soomro and Awami Tehreek’s Vasand Thari said the people of Sindh had no faith in the CCI process.
All Sindh Lawyers Action Committee confirmed its sit-in camps would continue until a cancellation notification is issued. Lawyers protesting at Khairpur’s Babarloi Bypass for a seventh consecutive day issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Centre, threatening to block railway traffic next.
The Karachi Bar Association declined an invitation to attend the PPP’s April 25 public meeting, calling the government’s move inadequate. Lawyers and activists stressed that halting construction without a formal denotification was unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance and United Goods Transport Alliance also joined the protest, demanding safe passage for thousands of stranded trucks near Babarloi. They warned of a nationwide road blockade if relief was not provided by Friday noon.
At a press conference in Karachi, transporters said road closures had caused the spoilage of goods and the deaths of sacrificial animals. They estimated 30,000 vehicles were stuck between Sukkur and Sadiqabad, with major disruptions to food, fuel, and medicine supplies across the country.
