KHAIRPUR, July 9: The anti-Thal canal procession reached the Khairpur district on Tuesday evening where it was joined by thousands of local people.

People’s Party Parliamentarians MPAs — Nawab Wassan, Naeem Ahmad Kharal and Dr Mehreen Bhutto —, party leader Bashir Mallah and scores of its activists welcomed the participants of procession in Rasoolabad here.

The procession passed through Ranipur, Kot Diji, Kunb and other major towns and cities of the district. A large number of people joined the procession despite heavy rains in the district. The National Highway remained closed for two hours.

Speaking on the occasion, Anti-Greater Thal Canal Action Committee convener Nisar Ahmad Khuhro said on the one hand President Gen Pervez Musharraf was showing sympathy for Sindh and on the other, he was supporting the construction of the Thal canal.

Mr Khuhro, who is the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly and the Sindh PPP president, said the people of the province would continue their struggle against the canal project till it was shelved.

He said a sense of deprivation was prevailing among the people of Sindh as excesses were being committed against the province.

Awami Tehrik leader Rasool Bux Palijo said Sindh was being robbed of its resources and water share.

He said the people should unit on one platform and struggle against the Thal canal project and for the rights of the province, including its water share.

Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi blamed Punjab for taking over the Indus River. He said the people should come out on the streets for Sindh’s rights.

Gul Mohammad Jakhrani of the Sindh National Front, MPA Nawab Wassan and Shah Mohammad Shah of the PPP, Afzal Gujar of the Pakistan Muslim League-N and Khalid Mehmood of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal also spoke on the occasion.