SUKKUR: The Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Arisar (JSQM-A) organised a ‘long march’ from Sukkur to Karachi on foot against federal government’s various plans “being executed despite Sindh people’s strong reservations”.

A large group of party leaders and activists on Tuesday gathered at Sukkur Barrage and set off to Karachi on foot.

They included JSQM-A Chairman Aslam Khairpuri, Sarmad Mirani, Fatah Chana, student wing (JSSF) head Asad Sindh Yaar, women wing leader Kiran Nizamani, Taj Joyo, Nazir Khokhar, Shabbir Leghari and Gohar Sindhi.

Several other senior party leaders, along with its workers and supporters, bode farewell to the marchers.

Six-canal project, Green Pakistan Initiative, corporate farming and other federal plans rejected

They showered rose petals onto the surface of the Indus River as a mark of respect and sang party songs before starting the march.

They also raised slogans for the constitutional rights of Sindh and against the federal plans, including six new canals to be fed through the Indus, the Green Pakistan Initiatives and allotment of Sindh’s islands and farmlands to local and foreign investors.

Waving party flags, the party workers and supporters walked several kilometers with the marchers.

Speaking to them at the starting point at the barrage, JSQM leaders said the federal plans were bound to destroy Sindh by rendering it barren, besides pushing its population deep below the poverty line.

They also expressed their serious concern over increasing incidents of ‘enforced disappearance’, settlement of ‘outsiders’ on Sindh’s soil and religious extremism.

JSQM-A Chairman Aslam Khairpur, speaking to the media, said that the proposed canal project was a conspiracy to render Sindh barren.

He observed that the Indus Delta had already been destroyed. He claimed that Sindh’s lands were being occupied in the name of corporate farming.

JSQM women wing leader Kiran Nizamani said that the party leaders and activists had started the around 500km long march on food in order to wake up the conscience of Sindhi people and draw and international community’s attention to the injustices being done to this province.

Sindhi Adabi Sangat Secretary Taj Joyo endorsed the stand of JSQM on various issues of Sindh.

He said Sindh rejected religious extremism, fanaticism and terrorism.

He expressed his dismay over the silence of rights organisations over serious violation of human rights in Sindh.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025