Sindh’s Water Under Threat: Awami Tehreek Slams PPP’s Betrayal, Warns of Massive Protests Against Indus Canal Project
Sindh’s Water Under Threat: Awami Tehreek Slams PPP’s Betrayal, Warns of Massive Protests Against Indus Canal Project
Mehar 16 March. In the relentless struggle against the anti-people policies of the SIFC-backed Green Pakistan Initiative—disguised as corporate farming, the construction of six canals on the Indus River, the IRSA Amendment, and the systematic desertification of Sindh—Awami Tahreek and Sindhiyani Tahreek have been at the forefront of resistance. Today, in continuation of this long-standing movement, Advocate Sajid Mahesar, the Central Secretary General of Awami Tahreek, met with the National Press in Mehar, exposing the devastating consequences of these projects. He reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the people of Sindh to resist every attempt to rob them of their land, water, and rights, declaring that no force can silence their fight for justice.
While addressing journalists at the National Press Club Mehar, Awami Tehreek’s central general secretary, Advocate Sajid Hussain Mehesar, along with Advocates Najeeb Mehesar, Zulfiqar Chandio, and Dad Muhammad Magsi, stated that Punjab has been taking 80% of Sindh’s water for the past 70 years. They further alleged that during the previous PDM government, the PPP, along with other parties, passed a bill without any discussion. This law aimed to allocate Sindh’s lands under the Green Initiative and lease millions of acres to foreign companies. Under this bill, in the first phase, 53,000 acres of land will be allotted for the Greater Thal Project, with further land allocations planned in phases. A total of 6.6 million acres will be handed over to companies, and to cultivate these lands, water will be taken from the Indus River.
They pointed out that the Sutlej, Beas, and other rivers of Punjab, which have already been sold off, no longer carry water. Therefore, to irrigate these lands, water will be extracted from the Indus River. Pakistan’s representatives, particularly those from Sindh, are complicit in this project. President Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto, who support the Green Initiative, are deceiving Sindh. They questioned how these lands would be irrigated and accused Punjab of insisting on extracting water through canals.
They further stated that President Zardari has merely spoken about this issue in the assembly, but a proper bill has yet to be presented in the National Assembly. The PPP must separate itself from the PML-N over this issue. Despite securing votes from Sindh, the PPP is failing to stand by the Sindhi people. They accused the party of failing to contribute to national progress and democracy, instead handing over several institutions to external entities.
According to them, the current assemblies do not represent the people and have already sold off Sindh. Institutions are in ruin, and five major departments have been handed over to the military. Sindh has been held hostage, and under Zardari’s rule, Sindhi people are being imprisoned.
They emphasized that Sindhi people strongly oppose these canals. If the PPP does not genuinely side with the people and if President Zardari continues his political theatrics, the people of Sindh will launch a struggle against the PPP. They warned that if Sindh ceases to exist, Pakistan will not survive either. They described the assemblies and democracy as being in a state of servitude.
They also criticized Nawaz Sharif, questioning his claim of representing the country, saying he and his party follow external directives. They reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing resistance, with men, women, and children from across Sindh actively protesting against the project. They announced plans to devise a new protest strategy after Eid to launch a large-scale demonstration against this project.
They concluded by holding Sindh’s elected representatives and the PPP equally responsible for the theft of Sindh’s water and the exploitation of the Indus River. They demanded an immediate reversal of the decision to extract canals from the Indus River, warning that failure to do so would result in severe protests.
