Sindh, April 26 (IANS) The ongoing demonstration in Pakistan’s Sindh province intensified as several leaders protesting against the government’s canal project have refused to call off their protest until it is cancelled.
Lawyers, political parties, and several civil society organisations have continued with their sit-in protest since last week at the Babarloi bypass in Khairpur district, according to local media.
The organisers claimed that in the demonstration against the construction of six canals on the Indus River, more than 200,000 people, including women and children, had participated.
According to the organisers, over 200,000 people, including women and children, are participating in the demonstration against the plan to construct six dams on the Indus River.
Addressing the protesters on Friday at Babarloi, Karachi Bar Association (KBA) President Amir Nawaz Waraich warned against any kind of police actions against the protestors, the leading Pakistani newspaper, The Express Tribune, reported.
“I will tell the police officers that if you disturb the protesters or make any move, the entire Sindh will be shut down, and you will be responsible for the consequences. Under no circumstances will we end the sit-in until a notification (cancelling the canals project) is issued,” he stated.
Waraich further added that a two-day ultimatum is been given to the federal government to issue the cancellation notification.
“If the notification is not issued by then, we will block the railway track at Rohri,” the lawyer leader announced.
Speaking at the event, Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Sindh, rejected Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement on Thursday about suspending work on the canals and convening a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting to build consensus on the issue.
He also announced the continuation of the protest unless the project is revoked.
“When the Prime Minister issued the notification (approving the canals), did he convene the CCI then? Did he consult the ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council)? Did he involve Irsa (Indus River System Authority)?” the leader added.
He slammed the federal government, stating that if the canal notification was issued without consultation, “why was the CCI meeting necessary to withdraw it? We will not accept this drama,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister had the authority to cancel the project outright.
Meanwhile, the transporters on Friday said that the agitation caused severe disruptions to the country’s supply chain, stranding thousands of goods carriers.
According to a report in the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, Tariq Gujjar, president of the Transport Goods Association (TGA), said that more than 10,000 to 15,000 trawlers, containers, trucks, and oil tankers remain stuck in the Sukkur-Larkana division and around Bahawalpur due to ongoing road blockades.
“Drivers have reported that goods movement, especially from the Sukkur-Larkana region to the Bahawalpur area, is still paralysed,” he added.
–IANS
int/scor/sd/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
