NAWABSHAH, June 30: A big protest rally was staged in Sakrand on Sunday by the Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Z) against construction of the greater Thal canal.

The participants, in a caravan of cars, vans, buses and tractor trolleys, arrived at Sakrand near Shahbaz Minor from Majeed Kerio village, 4KM from Sakrand.

Over 5,000 people marched from Shahbaz Minor to Latif Park.

Led by Syed Zain Shah, chairman of his faction of the JSM, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, general secretary, Ponam, Abdul Majeed Nizamani, chief, Sindh Abadgar Board, and Sufi Huzoor Bukhsh, the protestors were carrying banners and placards and were raising slogans.

Speaking at the rally, Zain Shah said that the people of Sindh were against construction of dams like Kalabagh and also the Thal canal.

He criticised the policies of Punjab and said that it wanted to turn fertile lands of Sindh into a desert.

He alleged that water share of Sindh was being stolen by Punjab.

He opined that problem of law and order in Sindh was created by a certain lobby in the government.

JSM-Z leader said that Punjab had usurped the rights of Sindh since the last 55 years. He added that the income generated by Karachi port was being spent on Punjab and now it would have to pay for it.

The Ponam leader said that people of the smaller provinces were being deprived of their rights.

He said that Sindh was experiencing problems like unemployment, water crises and law and order breakdown.

He said that the Thal canal project was an anti-Sindh scheme therefore people of the province were grieved over its construction.

The members of the Sindh Abadgar Board and people from Nawabshah, Naushahro Feroze, Dadu, Sanghar and Hyderabad districts attended the rally.

HESCO: The residents of Daur town held a demonstration on Saturday against Hesco for issuing inflated bills and resorting to unannounced loadshedding.