By: KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA
THATTA/SUJAWAL: A large number of political workers belonging to Awami Tahreek and Quomi Awami Tahreek staged a protest in the Jhumpir town of Thatta district and the Bannu town of Sujawal district against the controversial six-canal scheme and corporate farming, demanding protection of the Indus Delta and Sindh’s biodiversity.
Advocate Wasant Thari, Central President of Awami Tahreek, who led the protest in Jhimpir, said that the Indus River carries a history spanning thousands of years, and they would not allow anyone to usurp Sindh’s riparian rights. He noted that lands in different parts of Sindh were being illegally occupied to facilitate corporate farming projects.
Hussain Katiyar criticized the Sindh government for its indifferent attitude towards the issue of water canals on the Indus River, pointing out that the Sindh Assembly had not passed a resolution against the scheme, showing their lack of seriousness towards the issue. The protesters announced plans to pay floral tribute to the Indus River on March 14, marking International Day for Rivers.
In Bannu town, Sujawal district, Ashraf Palijo, Zain Sommro, and Rasheed Gopang, among others, termed the six-canal scheme a conspiracy to turn Sindh’s land barren and bring economic instability to the province. They feared that if the scheme was executed, Sindh would become a desert by 2030.
Ali Hassan Lashari accused President Asif Ali Zardari of selling Sindh’s resources and mentioned that the Green Pakistan Scheme was the Green Punjab Scheme. He further stated that the pilferage of Sindh’s water was a transgression of international humanitarian laws and the Constitution.
The protesters urged the urban population of Sindh and people from other ethnic backgrounds to join hands for the survival of the Indus River, vowing to continue their struggle until the scheme is foiled.
