DADU: Scores of people staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Jamshoro deputy commissioner in protest over lack of potable water in 350 villages of Kotri, Manjhand, Sehwan and Thana Bula Khan on Tuesday.

Vehicular traffic remained suspended for several hours due to the protest, which was held on the call of the Sindh United Party (SUP). It was led by the SUP secretary Roshan Ali Buriro, Advocate Khuda Bux Thebo, Fayyaz Soomro, Darya Khan Leghari and Maulana Sudheer Ahmed.

Besides activists of SUP, workers of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) also participated.

Speaking to demonstrators, Mr Buriro said that the a private company was exploring oil and gas in various parts of Jamshoro district but it was not supplying drinking water to 350 villages of Sehwan, Manjhand, Kotri and Thana Bula Khan.

Activists of JSQM, JUI-F and PML-N attend the SUP protest

He said that millions of rupees were paid to the DC and elected representatives but the firm had not utilised the corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds in the area.

He said that a large number of graduate youths were unemployed, but outsiders were appointed in the firm. He said that only papers and documents were maintained but on the ground funds were not utilised. He said that it was a mega corruption scandal.

Mr Buriro said that youths having university degrees had submitted their documents to the human resource department of the company for different posts, but the company had ignored the locals and appointed people from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa etc.

He appealed to the prime minister and other authorities concerned to look into the matter.

Advocate Thebo said that the demonstrations before main camps of the company would be held and supplies of ration and oil would be disrupted if water was not supplied to their villages.

Leaders of the JUI-F, PML-N and JSQM also spoke to the protesters and supported their demands.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2021