Joint Press Conference by Advocate Vasand Thari, Central President of Awami Tahreek, and AT’s Central Leadership
Joint Press Conference by Advocate Vasand Thari, Central President of Awami Tahreek, and AT’s Central Leadership
Dear Journalists,
An emergency meeting of the Central Council of Awami Tahreek was held today at the residence of the party’s leader, respected Rasool Bux Palijo, at D10 Palijo House, Qasimabad, Hyderabad. The meeting was attended by central leadership and council representatives from across Sindh. The meeting focused on the ongoing movement across Sindh against the construction of canals and corporate farming.
For the past three days, I, along with the central leadership and members of Awami Tahreek and Sindhyani Tahreek, have continuously participated in the protest sit-in by lawyers at Babarolo Bypass. Today as well, Advocate Sajid Hussain Mahesar, Central General Secretary of Awami Tahreek, joined the sit-in alongside female members of Sindhyani Tahreek and party workers. This morning, gunfire was opened at the sit-in. This anti-Sindh, anti-state, anti-constitution, anti-law, and anti-democracy act is highly condemnable.
Among those participating in the protest sit-in are innocent children, girls, women, peasants, workers, members of various political and social organizations, writers, intellectuals, poets, journalists, teachers, students, traders, and farmers — none of whom are armed. All are peacefully protesting.
We believe the Sindh Government, the federal government, and the rulers of Punjab are engaged in a deliberate conspiracy to suppress the peaceful democratic struggle of the Sindhi people by sabotaging and provoking violence through various means. The Government is responsible for the life and property of every citizen. Despite being fully aware that peaceful protestors are sitting in, the Sindh Government intentionally failed to make necessary security arrangements.
The Chief Minister of Sindh must be held accountable for this lawlessness. The DIG Sukkur and SSP Sukkur must be immediately dismissed, and urgent security arrangements must be made for the sit-in.
Awami Tahreek believes that corporate farming is a critical issue directly linked with the canals. Anyone who only talks about canals, but not about corporate farming is hiding the truth. During the tenure of the previous PDM coalition government, the Board of Investment Amendment Bill 2023 was officially passed into law. Projects related to corporate farming, canals, SIFC, and the Green Initiative Pakistan are all part of the Board of Investment Amendment Act 2023. This law is a black law, anti-state legislation. No patriotic, democratic individual of the country can accept it.
The Pakistan People’s Party and other ruling parties must stop their deceptive acts of passing so_called resolutions against canals in assemblies. Reports suggest that federal ministers Rana Sanaullah and Sharjeel Memon have held discussions on the canal issue. Awami Tahreek views PML-N and PPP as two sides of the same coin, and the public does not trust the leadership of either party. The Board of Investment Amendment Act 2023 must be immediately repealed.
Awami Tahreek has been protesting against canals and corporate farming since day one. Since the bill was made law, Awami Tahreek has continued its struggle through seminars, protests, rallies, hunger strikes, and sit-ins. As a result, the whole Sindh has turned into a protest ground. Innocent children, students, teachers, peasants, workers, traders, writers, intellectuals, poets, journalists, and lawyers of Sindh are all actively participating in this peaceful democratic movement.
Awami Tahreek honors and salutes all those participating in this democratic movement, including the lawyers holding the sit-in at Babarloo. The message of Awami Tahreek to the people of Sindh is that only peaceful democratic struggle can defeat oppressive forces. People must stay vigilant against propaganda and conspiracies aimed at turning the movement violent and instead strengthen their peaceful democratic resistance.
It was also decided in the meeting that workers of Awami Tahreek and Sindhyani Tahreek will actively participate daily in the Bubarloo Bypass sit-in alongside the protesting lawyers.
Awami Tahreek believes that the Council of Common Interests (CCI), where Punjab has majority representation, uses this advantage to decide the fate of other provinces and plunder the resources of Sindh and other smaller provinces. The structure of the CCI should be reorganized based on equal representation.
It was also decided that protest rallies against canals and corporate farming will be held in the following areas:
April 23: Sangi Pharo, April 25: Khor Wah, April 26: Bachal Kaloi, Jhudo, April 27: Moya city, April 28: Dumbalo, Tando Ghulam Ali, April 29: Usman Shah Huri, Tando Allahyar, May 1: Nagarparkar, May 2: Daharki, May 3: Reti, May 4: Shikarpur and May 10: Larkana City. The people of Sindh are invited to participate in these protest rallies.
Furthermore, it was decided that on June 21, a countrywide public gathering against canals and corporate farming will be held in village Mangar Khan near Jungshahi to mark the seventh death anniversary of the great revolutionary leader Rasool Bux Palijo. Patriotic political leaders, social activists, writers, intellectuals, poets, peasants, and labor leaders from all over the country will be invited.
Noor Ahmed Katiar – Central Senior Vice President, Awami Tahreek, Sattar Rind – Central Vice President, Awami Tahreek, Umrah Samoon – Central President, Sindhyani Tahreek, Lal Jarwar, Abdul Qadir Ranto, Dr. Rasool Bux Khaskheli, Dr. Dildar Laghari, Raheel Bhutto, Noor Nabi Palijo, Dr Sindhu Marvi, Husna Rahoojo, Pirha Soomro, Bakhtawar Mallah, Kainat Dahri, Koonj Lashari, Zahida Lashari, Abdul Rahman Samoon, Ayaz Khoso, Mukhtiar Khaskheli, Izhar Daudpoto, Mir Pervez Daudpoto, Hussain Soomro and other leaders were present at press conference.
Kashif Mallah
Central Media Secretary
