HYDERABAD: Convener Save Indus River Movement Syed Zain Shah has announced holding a ‘Darya bachayo yakjehati march’ (Save Indus March) in Hyderabad on April 19 in protest against federal government’s plans for the construction of six canals on Indus River.

Shah said at a news conference after chairing a meeting of the movement at G.M. Syed edifice in Jamshoro on Wednesday that ‘Save Indus River Movement’ had become a popular voice of people today.

He said the meeting discussed ongoing protest against the canals under the aegis of the ‘movement’ and deliberated on how to make it more effective.

He said the meeting asked the prime minister to stop the canals project and formed a ‘Darya bachayo mushwarati council’ to ensure better coordination among component parties.

He said that all the parties which were out of the fold of this ‘movement’ had now become its part. The project of corporate farming was conceived for certain companies by the government, and judiciary had been tamed under 26th Amendment, he said.

He said the meeting condemned murderous assault on Karachi Bar Association’s president Amir Warraich in Karachi and demanded the attackers’ arrest.

He said that today’s meeting expressed concern over false cases being field against journalists under Peca in order to silence their voice.

Grand Democratic Alliance secretary general Dr Safdar Abbasi said that GDA and likeminded people stood by people of Sindh. GDA leader Pir Pagara had given a clear viewpoint on the issue of canals project and now this movement could not be termed as merely a ‘nationalists’ campaign, he said.

Sardar Rahim of PML-F and PTI’s Masroor Siyal pointed out that the movement against canals would be organised across Sindh. They said that petition filed in Sindh High Court by PPP was an attempt to mislead people. Imran Khan had also given a message that construction of canals would not be allowed, they said.

JI’s Hafiz Tahir Majeed said that all parties were united on this issue. The Council of Common Interests had become irrelevant because even federal government did not give importance to it and now the issue of canals had become point of ‘fundamental right’, he said, adding the movement had taken the case to people’s court.

The meeting was attended by JUI-F’s Maulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoon, Dr Niaz Kalani of JSQM (Shaheed Bashir), K. B.Leghari, JSQM-A Aslam Khairpuri, JSM’s Punhal Jamali, Awami Workers Party’s Dr Bukshal Thallu, STP’s Hyder Shahani and others.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2025