HYDERABAD, March 4: The Centre for Peace and Human Development held a protest rally outside the press club here on Monday against the approval of the Thal canal project by the Ecnec.

A large number of writers, intellectuals, politicians, technocrats and civil society representatives participated in the protest.

A joint declaration was approved by the participants.

The declaration expressed grave concern over the approval of the greater Thal canal project by the Ecnec and termed the project illegal and unconstitutional.

It said that the people of Sindh perceived it as a declaration by the unholy alliance of the central government, Punjab and the Wapda, in which Sindh and its people had not only been insulted and deprived but they had been made to feel as if they were no longer part of Pakistan.

It further said that the constitution of Pakistan accorded highest importance to the matters relating to the distribution of water and emphasised on consensus between the provinces before initiating any project.

The declaration pointed out that summaries were moved and negotiations were undertaken, so that the people of the federating units and their respective governments were kept informed and their consent obtained before the item was even placed on the agenda of the forums like the CDWP and Ecnec. International laws, concerning riparian rights, also forbid initiating any new development project unless the existing needs of the sharing are met.

The declaration deplored that the greater Thal canal project was moved and approved in great hurry under the cloak of secrecy, while the actual work on the canal had been going on for more than six months.

It said that the people of Sindh reject the Thal canal or any other project of drawing or diverting the water of Indus River or its tributaries.

It demanded that the approval of the Thal canal by the Ecnec should immediately be taken back, work on the canal should be stopped forthwith, the CJ and TP canal, drawing water of Indus into Jehlum, should be closed immediately, Wapda should be disbanded immediately as it had become the handmaiden of Punjab, and the Sindh government and its governor and ministers be sacked for being unable to protect the rights of Sindh.

The participants of the protest rally also called upon the world community and the democratic forces of Pakistan to come to the rescue of Sindh.

Rasool Bux Palijo, Dr Qadir Magsi, Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo, Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, Jami Chandio, Professor Mushtaq Mirani, Professor Aijaz Qureshi, Imdad Hussaini, Maula Bux Chandio, Nazir Qureshi, Aslam Baloch and Hafiz Qureshi were among the speakers.