HYDERABAD: The six-day march started by the Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) on Tuesday (April 15) against federal government’s policy on Indus water distribution ended here on Monday.
The march was led by QAT chief Ayaz Latif Palijo when it was started from Bhitshah. On its last leg, the participants, led by QAT general secretary Mazhar Rhaujo, Sindhiani Tehreek (QAT women wing) president Zeenat Sammo, Altaf Khaskheli, Sindhi Girls Students Tehreek president Rafia Palijo and others, walked up to the local press club after entering the city via Hala Naka.
Before dispersing peacefully, they adopted several resolutions demanding release of 20maf (million acre feet) water below Kotri to save the Indus delta; implementation of the 1991 Water Accord; shelving of the six canals project; closure of link canals; and resignation of President Asif Ali Zardari “for giving his approval for the canals project”.
Through one resolution, they declared that decisions on water-related issues taken or to be taken by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) were unacceptable to Sindh because it was only the Council of Common Interests (CCI) that could take such decisions.
Earlier, addressing the participants, Mazhar Rahujo said that if these canals were built, Sindh would become barren. He said that Indus River was everything for the people of Sindh.
“Sindh’s people will not allow these canals to be built,” he said.
He dispelled that impression being created that canals would be built because such decision had been taken by the federal authorities and, therefore, the ongoing agitation was an exercise in futility. He stressed that the authorities concerned would have to shelve the project because the entire Sindh had emerged united against all such plans.
Rahujo said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should understand that common people of Sindh were different from waderas, pirs, mirs, bureaucrats and ministers. “Every single individual of Sindh is ready to fight till his last breath for the province’s rights on the Indus River,” he said.
Zeenat Sammo said that by depriving Sindh of water, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) wanted Sindh’s people to starve to death. She added that PPP was part of those elements who were attacking the river. She said execution of the six canals project would ultimately render Sindh barren permanently. She said that sea would completely devour Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts’ lands.
“In its 17 years of rule over Sindh, PPP has only given pains to this province,” she deplored. Women of Sindh would foil the ‘canals conspiracy’ through their peaceful struggle, she vowed.
Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2025
