THATTA: Awami Tehreek held a 10-kilometre ‘foot march’ between Baghan and Gardho towns of Thatta district against “auction of 1.3 million acres of Sindh’s land in the name of ‘corporate farming leading to agricultural revolution’ and termed the initiative “landgrabbing”.

A large number of AT activists took part in the protest march. They were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the plan.

The march, which was led by AT president Lal Jarwar, general secretary Noor Ahmed Katiyar, vice president Hoorun Nisa Palejo and other leaders, was joined by people from different walks of life.

Speaking to the participants, Lal Jarwar said people of Sindh strongly opposed the “landgrabbing and encroachment of Thatta’s Keenjhar and Haleji lakes as well as Kohistan, Bhanbhor and other coastal areas by the corporate sector.

He demanded shelving of all such projects in the name of corporate farming and agricultural revolution, and warned the authorities concerned against forcing out locals from their lands.

He said rulers of the country had already distorted the secular and democratic Pakistan of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah … they did not learn any lesson from the 1971 debacle ..., adding that “the country is being pushed back to the 1971 conditions”.

He accused the outgoing government of Pakistan Peoples Party of having sold away thousands of acres in Thatta district alone to foreign firms through auctions for which fake documents were prepared.

Millions of acres had been illegally acquired for various residential schemes like Bahria Town, Zulfikarabad and DHA City, he alleged, and also described the K-IV [water supply to Karachi] project as “death warrant of Keenjhar Lake”. The project would divert the entire Keenjhar water to the illegal housing schemes, he claimed.

“Rulers of Sindh have no constitutional authority to auction the lands and resources of Sindh,” he maintained.

Other AT leaders including Hoorun Nisa Palejo and Mitha Khan Lashari also spoke.—Press release.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2024