Sindh lawyers to launch long march against Indus River Canals project

The legal community in Sindh is set to initiate a peaceful sit-in at the Babarlo bypass–situated between Sukkur and Khairpur–protesting the construction of six new canals on the Indus River, as reported by the Dawn.

According to the Dawn, in a press conference held at the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) office on Wednesday, KBA representatives called on all political parties and members of civil society to stand with them in opposition to the project.

The KBA leaders announced the beginning of the second phase of their “non-violent civil resistance campaign” and confirmed that the long march would begin on Thursday. They warned that all motorway connections from Sindh to other parts of Pakistan would be blocked in a peaceful manner.

Rehman Korai, KBA’s General Secretary, appealed to political organizations and civil society to support their protest at the Babarlo bypass. KBA President Aamir Nawaz Warraich emphasized that while the protest would remain peaceful, they were prepared to respond if the authorities acted unlawfully, as cited by the Dawn.

He said the march would start from the Sindh High Court’s parking area and head to Babarlo bypass, where they would hold a sit-in. Warraich stated the protest would continue until the government canceled the controversial canal project and resolved other outstanding issues.

Recently, according to The Express Tribune, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has completed arrangements for a public rally at Hyderabad’s Hattri Ground on April 18 to protest against development projects on the Indus River. The PPP cautioned that if such initiatives persisted, the entire province of Sindh would rise in protest, though the party emphasized it does not seek unrest in the region.

Earlier, on February 15, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, alongside Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir, launched the Cholistan irrigation project aimed at cultivating southern Punjab’s lands–sparking public backlash and serious concerns from Sindh’s leadership and citizens.