BKARACHI: Opposition parties in Sindh announced on Monday they would join forces against the proposed amendment to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act by launching the “Save Indus River Movement” and planning province-wide protests.

At a meeting hosted by the Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) at the residence of its provincial president Haleem Adil Sheikh, leaders from various parties agreed to support the initiative.

Attendees included former President Dr Arif Alvi, Sindh United Party’s (SUP) Syed Zain Shah, Grand Democratic Alliance’s (GDA) Sardar Rahim, National Peoples Party’s (NPP) Masroor Jatoi, Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) Hafiz Tahir Majeed, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s (JUI-F) Qari Muhammad Usman, Qaumi Awami Tehreek’s (QAT) Mazhar Rahujo, and Kashif Khaskheli, among others.

The meeting unanimously appointed Syed Zain Shah as convener of the Save Indus River Movement. The meeting condemned the plan to amend the Irsa Act as a conspiracy to render Sindh barren and passed a resolution denouncing President Asif Ali Zardari as a facilitator of this alleged anti-Sindh plan.

The participants pledged to continue awareness and protest campaigns to defend Sindh’s rights.

Protests are planned across Sindh at the tehsil level on November 17, with awareness marches scheduled for late November and mid-December in various cities.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Alvi stated he had faced pressure to sign the Irsa Amendment Act, which proposed an increase in Punjab’s water share.

He emphasised that such critical issues should be addressed in the Council of Common Interests (CCI), but no CCI session has been held in the past 34 months.

Dr Alvi argued that depriving one province of water to benefit another undermines national unity and noted that Sindh still did not receive its rightful share of water per the 1991 Accord.

He criticised provincial representatives for failing to ensure fair decisions.

Mr Sheikh alleged that the PPP had been exploiting Sindh’s resources for the past 16 years and vowed that plans to construct six canals on the Indus River, allegedly aimed at rendering Sindh barren, would not be tolerated.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2024