Protest Erupts Over Controversial Canal Projects on Indus River

Protesters gathered outside Pakistan's High Commission in London on International Rivers Day to denounce the construction of illegal canals on the Indus River. The protest, led by the World Sindhi Congress and supported by various groups, condemns the federal and Punjab governments for threatening Sindh's water rights and communities.

A protest has erupted in front of the Pakistan High Commission in London on International Rivers Day, organized by the World Sindhi Congress, to condemn six illegal canal constructions on the Indus River. The gathering aimed at addressing actions by the federal and Punjab governments of Pakistan, labeled as unconstitutional by nationalist leaders and activists.

JSFM chairman Sohail Abro underscored the dire implications for Sindh, depicting the canal venture as life-threatening for local communities. He spotlighted the exacerbation of the water crisis and detrimental impacts on agriculture through a Facebook post. The protest also criticized the silencing of dissent in Sindh, mentioning activist Sohail Raza Bhatti's disappearance and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.

Speakers, including Lako Mal Lohano, Hidayat Bhutto, and Ayman Zainoor, delivered fierce rebukes of the canal projects, asserting these as parts of a conspiracy to deprive Sindh of its rightful water resources. The protest's slogan-laden demands for halting the projects highlight mounting frustrations and tensions over water rights between Sindh and central authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)