Rally held against anti-Sindh projects
The procession, which converted into a big rally after reaching at Clock Tower, was organized by the Anti-Thall Canal Action Committee.
PPP leaders Qaim Ali Shah, Nisar Khuhro, Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo and Khurshid Ahmed Shah, STPP chief Dr Qadir Magsi, SNF leader Gul Mohammad Jakhrani, MMA leader Asadullah Bhutto and PML-N leader Saleem Zia led the protesters.
Speaking on the occasion, leaders of the Anti-Thal Canal Action Committee rejected all dams over the Indus River.
They demanded that the government should abandon all anti-Sindh projects forever and stop bulldozing Sindhi localities in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.
They said that if the dispossession of Sindhis did not stop, they would march on Islamabad and stage a sit-in there that would continue till the end of the government.
They said that thousands of people, including women and children, have gathered in this sizzling heat to tell Gen Musharraf that the Sindhi nation was against the construction of any dam over the Indus River.
They said that the biggest public meeting of its kind was self evident in this particular regard.
They said that the people of Sindh were being supplied with contaminated water and Gen Musharraf was talking about constructing more dams.
Warning the general, they asked him not to test the limits of the people of Sindh and keep in mind what happened to Gen Yahya Khan and Gen Zia.
They said that they were trying to convince the general politically to refrain from his negative policies but if he continued then the people of Sindh would launch strong movement against him which would last till his ouster.
They said that Gen Musharraf had nothing to do with the hardships of the people and he rather was interested in perpetuating his power.
They said that Gen Musharraf wanted to make the people of Punjab happy to save his power while bringing people of Pakistan to fight each other.
Terming the MQM as a terrorist group, the leaders said that it was not a political party but a blackmailers’ group.
They said that the Muttahida had now converted into Musharraf Qaumi Movement (MQM) and was terrorizing Sindhis.
They said that the MQM celebrated Latif Day in Khairpur and ironically instead of inscribing poetry of Shah Latif on banners, they had painted MQM flags here and there and even historical places had not been spared.
They said that the MQM was established and armed by Gen Zia because Sindhis had opposed him from the year 1984 to 88.
Strongly condemning the bulldozing of Sikandar Goth in Karachi, the leaders alleged that the MQM was behind bulldozing of old Sindhi localities in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur to convert Sindhis into a minority.
They said that Pakistan did not belong to the generals and it belonged to Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
They said that Sindhis would repeat the example of Nepal if the rulers did not step down.
Opposing all dams the leaders said that all those including the federal minister of water and power and others were traitors of Sindh as they were supporting the Kalabagh dam and other anti-Sindh projects.
They asked all parliamentarians of Pakistan and MPAs of all the four provincial assemblies to fight against the Kalabagh dam and other anti-Sindh projects not only in parliament and the Senate but also come forward and express their solidarity with Sindhis who were against these projects.
At the end of the public meeting, several resolutions were adopted against the Kalabagh dam and other water projects over the Indus River and against bulldozing of Sindhi localities in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.