HYDERABAD, July 14: “The pro-Sindh members of the assemblies should tender their resignations in protest over the Thal canal construction and join the people’s struggle against the controversial project”.

This was demanded by the chairman of the Sindh Chandia Association, Ghulam Rasool Chandio, while speaking at a rally staged in Jamshoro on Sunday to protest against the Thal canal project.

He said that the efforts to construct the Thal canal dated back to the British colonial era but remained unsuccessful till the present government took up the disputed project.

Speaking on the occasion, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz chairman Bashir Qureshi said that come hell or high water, the people of Sindh would not accept the construction of the Thal Canal or any other anti-Sindh project.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Dr Niaz Kalani, Taj Joyo, Fazal Khan Chandio, Saghar Hanif Burdi and Josheelo Sindhi.

The protest rally adopted a declaration, demanding that the entire Sindh should be declared a calamity-affected province, recovery of agricultural taxes should be stopped for three years and the farmers should be advanced interest-free loans.

It also demanded that the construction of the disputed Thal canal should be immediately stopped.

The participants of the rally took a pledge to continue their struggle unless the rights of Sindh and its people were restored.

Earlier, a procession was taken out from the Jamshoro railway crossing to Al-Manzar.

At the beginning of the procession, the faqirs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai — Syed Sajjad Hussain, Qadir Bukhsh Khaskheli, Ghulam Rasool, Jawan Faqir and Syed Saadat Hussain rendered Sur Kedaro, Samoondi and Dahar.

The faqirs also led a prayer for prosperity of Sindh, unity of the Sindh people and against the Thal canal.

On its way, hundreds of people sitting in hotels joined the procession and raised slogans the Thal canal construction.

The protesters also staged a sit-in at the Kotri Barrage bridge as a result vehicular traffic was blocked there.