KARACHI, March 30: The Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz on Tuesday staged a sit-in on Superhighway against the construction of the Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam. During the sit-in, vehicular traffic remained at a stand-still.

The police, after their failure to persuade them to call off their protest, used teargas shells to disperse them and arrested several JSQM activists. The sit-in was staged under the supervision of JSQM chief Bashir Qureshi and Karachi Coordinator Hakim Natiar.

The participants, who started converging at Al-Asif Square around 1pm, blocked the road by lying on it. They were holding party flags, banners, and placards, condemning the two projects.

According to JSQM chief Bashir Qureshi, their protest would continue until the government announces an end to construction of the greater Thal canal and the Kalabagh Dam project.

He said throughout Sindh, particularly in big towns sit-ins were staged and the authorities arrested over 1,000 party workers and raids were made at houses of party workers to make more arrests.

The cities and towns where JSQM activists staged protest demonstrations and blocked roads leading to Punjab included Hyderabad, Sukkur, Kandhkot, Khairpur, Mehar, Wagan, Rato Dero, Nawabshah, Sakrand etc. Mr Qureshi also said in Wagan police also resorted to firing and lathi-charge and inured dozens of people, including arrests of 300 people.