Pakistan’s ruling coalition party to protest against ‘dictatorial’ govt’s canal project on Indus

Sindh:  Amid the outrage over the construction of canals on the Indus River, the coalition partner of Pakistan’s government, the Pakistan Peoples Party(PPP), announced protest rallies in all districts across Sindh province on March 25 against the plan of the “dictatorial federal government.”

PPP-Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, during a press conference held on Friday, on the premises of the Sindh Assembly, announced the protests against the federal government, local media reported.

Amid the rising internal conflicts in the coalition government and contradicting stances, Khuhro criticised the Pakistani government and labelled it as a “dictatorial federal government.”

He also warned that the PPP protests would force the government to abandon the canal projects, reports the country’s leading daily, The Express Tribune.

“The PPP will take out rallies and protest demonstrations in all district headquarters of Sindh on March 25 against the controversial six canal project. I appeal to the people of Sindh to come together and fight together against these canals,” Khuhro said.

“I salute the people protesting against the canals project, and we support their struggle. We will contact all political and nationalist parties in connection with the protest movement so that we can end this anti-Sindh project through a joint struggle,” he added.

Appealing to the people and all parties to join the struggle against the canals, Khuhro further added that a single and united voice of Sindh would make an impact.

He said the federal government had revived the memory of dictatorship by starting the construction of the Cholistan Canal in Punjab province without the approval of any constitutional forum, the leading Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, reported.

Earlier, the PPP Sindh Council also rejected the federal government’s plan to build six new canals on the Indus River.

Earlier this week, several rallies were held across Pakistan’s Sindh as a part of the ongoing province-wide protest against the Pakistan government’s canal project.

The protestor warned that Cholistan and other canals would deprive Sindh of its water permanently as Sindh’s survival was directly linked with the Indus.

Activists, members of various political parties, civil society outfits, trade unions, and literary associations are up in arms against the government, which is constructing six canals on the Indus River.

They are demanding the federal government of Pakistan to shelve the canal project.

The protests, echoing demands to “let the water flow,” have been held across the province as the citizens described such projects as “anti-people policies” and a “violation” of Sindh’s rights.

–IANS