KARACHI: Road users in Karachi experienced severe traffic jams on several major thoroughfares as a protest rally organised by lawyers from Hyderabad and the metropolis against the controversial canals project created gridlock on Sharea Faisal near the FTC flyover and other roads leading to the Karachi Press Club, venue of the protest, on Saturday.

The call for the protest was given by the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), Hyderabad District Bar Association (HDBA) and High Court Bar Association (HCBA) against the proposed project, the 26th Amendment, alleged handover of Sindh’s land for corporate farming and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (Peca).

The caravans of the lawyers belonging to different district bars of Sindh arrived at the FTC flyover on Sharea Faisal where contingents of law enforcers were already present. The road was already blocked with containers triggering a traffic chaos.

The lawyers held successful talks with police and district administration under which they were allowed to take the route of Lines Area to reach the KPC.

Rally causes severe traffic jams on Sharea Faisal, nearby roads

The march participants led by lawyer leaders, including Javed Qazi, Sajjad Chandio, Asghar Narejo, Aqib Rajpar, Ashraf Samoo, Abid Khan Jatoi, Sameer Memon and others, reached the KPC. They staged a protest and chanted slogans against both the federal and provincial governments and vowed to resist the canal projects.

Criticising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, they said without mandatory approval of Council of Common Interest (CCI), the construction work on the controversial projects had been almost half completed.

They said the people of Sindh rejected such canal projects and would resist it.

The lawyers’ leaders said, “We are the same lawyers of 2007 and our enemies are also the same.”

They said through the 26th Amendment, the judicial system was being destroyed. They said construction of six canals on the Indus and handing over of thousands of acres of land for corporate farming was equal to “economic murder” of Sindh. They said that construction of six canals on Indus was equal to “throwing nuclear bomb” on Sindh

They said that in Umerkot district over 190,000 acres of land was being given for corporate farming, which must be stopped.

They demanded withdrawal of notifications of handing over of thousands of acres for corporate farming in different areas of Sindh.

The lawyers also demanded an end to “enforced disappearances”. They also condemned Peca amendments and appointment of bureaucrats as vice chancellors of universities in Sindh.

One of the organisers of the march, senior lawyer Qazi Javed told Dawn that this was a joint protest by the lawyers of Karachi and Hyderabad against a host of issues like 26th Amendment but the main demand pertained to the water issue.

Activist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr also attended the rally. Speaking on the occasion, he rejected the canals project as well as 26th Amendment.

Meanwhile, DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the lawyers belonging to Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Jamshoro, Thatta, Malir while coming from Hyderabad via toll plaza reached Sharea Faisal and moved towards the KPC through FTC bridge, Lucky Star, Rex Centre, Zainab Market and Karachi Press Club Chowk, which caused disruption in flow of traffic on main arteries in the downtown.

He said the protest was led by HCBA president Ayaz Tunio, KBA president Amir Nawaz Waraich and senior lawyer Qazi Javed. The lawyers chanted slogans and later on disappeared peacefully.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025