KHAIRPUR: The sit-in protest against the proposed construction of six canals from the Indus River entered its 10th consecutive day on Saturday, bringing traffic between Sindh and Punjab on the National Highway to a complete standstill.
Lawyers, civil society activists, and members of nationalist and political parties have continued their demonstrations, demanding the cancellation of the canal projects. The prolonged blockade has disrupted the transportation of essential goods, including petrol and food supplies, while heavy container drivers report tire damage due to extended immobility.
Despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assurance that no canal would be built without consensus, and a joint announcement with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to resolve the matter through the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on May 2, protesters remain firm. They insist they will not disperse until a formal notification cancelling the project is issued.
Protests have spread to multiple points along the National Highway, with major gatherings near Mangrio Pump in Ghotki and the Sindh-Punjab border near Kamoon Shaheed. The blockade has severely impacted traffic movement, with no breakthrough yet reported in negotiations to end the standoff.
In Karachi, tensions rose when police baton-charged lawyers protesting the canal construction at Gulshan-e-Hadeed Link Road, injuring one protester. Following the incident, a large group of lawyers assembled outside the Steel Town Police Station, where the situation remains tense.
Authorities have yet to provide a timeline for restoring traffic and resolving the growing crisis that has strained inter-provincial connectivity and supply chains.
