Lawyers, civil society groups demand cancellation as transport, judicial services halt across Sindh amid growing unrest.
Sindh [Pakistan], April 27:
Widespread protests against the Pakistan government’s proposed Indus River canal project have brought road transport and judicial activities to a standstill in several districts of Sindh, according to Geo News.
Demonstrators fear the project will divert vital Indus water towards Punjab, severely impacting downstream supply to Sindh. Despite assurances from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, protests continue to escalate across the province.
Lawyers staging a sit-in at Babarlou Bypass on the National Highway in Khairpur have entered the ninth consecutive day of their protest, vowing to continue until a formal cancellation notice is issued. Nationalist groups and lawyers are also holding sit-ins at Mangrio Pump near Daharki and the Sindh-Punjab border near Kamo Shaheed.
Even after a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Sharif’s commitment that no canal will be constructed without consensus in the Council of Common Interests (CCI), protesters remain unconvinced. The next CCI meeting is scheduled for May 2 to formally endorse the agreement.
Meanwhile, the protests have caused significant economic and logistical disruption. Goods transport between Sindh and Punjab has been completely suspended, with over 1,000 containers from the textile sector stranded in Faisalabad, severely affecting raw material supply and factory operations.
In the legal sector, the Sindh Bar Council announced a strike, leading to court boycotts in Hyderabad, Larkana, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, and other major cities. Hundreds of cases were adjourned without hearing, leaving litigants distressed.
The Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce has called the situation “grave,” urging Prime Minister Sharif, Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to intervene urgently. They warned that ongoing disruptions could significantly damage Pakistan’s already fragile economy.
“We understand the government is trying to make improvements, but such incidents are damaging our exports,” said a Chamber representative.