Massive rally staged against Thal Canal, Kalabagh Dam
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Feb 10: Thousands of activists of political parties with diverse views staged a huge rally here on Tuesday to register Sindh's rejection of the Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh dam.
Participants of the rally, which was organised by the anti- greater Thal Canal committee, chanted slogans against the government, particularly against President Gen Pervez Musharraf, whom they accused of acting against the interests of Sindh and Pakistan.
The rally started from Quaid-i-Azam's mazar around 3pm and terminated at the Karachi Press Club at around 7.30pm after leaders had given vent to their views against the government, and criticized it for acting against the wishes of the people of Sindh.
Led by camel riders, the participants moved on foot and in all sorts of vehicles on M.A. Jinnah Road and Zaibunnisa Street to reach the press club. The rally caused a horrible traffic jam in the city, causing immense difficulties to commuters and demonstrated the lack of proper alternative route planning by the city administration, while allowing the rally to proceed.
Thousands of people from Karachi and other parts of Sindh participated in the major anti-government rally in the city on an issue which had been agitated against for a long time by activists in the interior of Sindh. But despite an impressive mobilisation, the activists generally lost sight of the real issue which was buried in a slogan contest in which they engaged outside the press club, in favour of their own leaders.
Work on the Greater Thal Canal was started a couple of years ago and it is nearing completion now. There is a perception that it is being built to irrigate lands owned by the serving and retired army officers in Sindh. The government rejects these views.
The rally was led by PPP's Nisar Khuhro, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Taj Haider, Muzaffar Shujra, Awami Tehrik's Rasool Bux Palijo, MMA's Asadullah Bhutto, Dr Qadir Magsi of Sindh Taraqqi Passand Party, Abdul Hayee Baloch of the National Party, Amin Khatak of the ANP, Khalid Mahmood Soomro of the JUI (F), Zain Ansari of PML(N) Gul Mohammad Jakhrani, secretary general of the SNF, Nasrullah Shaji of the JI and others.
The participants also criticised the provincial government and accused it of having failed to advocate Sindh's case. Addressing the rally outside the press club, Nisar Khuhro claimed the rally was a vote of no-confidence in General Pervez Musharraf's policy and a manifestation of the fact the people of Sindh consider the controversial projects detrimental to their survival. He said the people of the province were capable of resisting such moves if they were pushed any further.
He and other speakers accused General Musharraf of acting against national interests just to remain in power. Mr Khuhro also accused Gen Musharraf of compromising national security by acting against nuclear scientists to please others.
Some of the speakers cited a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) about the rights of people living at the tail end of a river. Leaders vowed to take their case to Punjab and other provinces to voice their rejection.
Distribution of water to the lower riparian Sindh, which has been in deficit for the last several years, has become a major irritant in inter-provincial harmony and has polarised politics.
It is the claim of the people of Sindh that projects like these were responsible for the shortage of water in the province, both for irrigation and other uses. They maintain that owing to such projects there was no water downstream from Kotri and the Indus River had turned into a desert below that, seriously affecting the economy and ecology of the lower riparian province.
Sindh has also reported a decline in agricultural production owing to the water shortage. This has also agitated some of the landed aristocracy in the province.
