Badin, Sindh

Awami Tehreek held a protest march on Saturday May 10, 2025 in Rajukhanani town of district Badin against the construction of canals from the Indus River in Punjab, corporate farming projects, and the worsening water shortage in Sindh.

The protest march started from Bakhsho Nizamani and culminated in a sit-in at WAPDA Chowk in Rajukhanani. The march was led by Awami Tehreek’s Central Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiyar, District President Ali Muhammad Pervaiz, Mehran Dars, Humero Mal, Mukhtiar Bakari, Fazil Zaur, Manji Kolhi, Hariram Kolhi, Lakhman Kolhi, Bhemchand Kolhi, Champa Kolhi, and others.

Speaking on the occasion, Central Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiyar said that Sindh is facing an extreme drought. People across Sindh are desperate even for a single drop of water. The province’s agricultural land has been rendered completely barren. Despite the worst water crisis in Sindh, Punjab has started filling its canals and dams through aggressive and unjust means. Even though Sindh is suffering from a severe water shortage, Punjab has opened the Taunsa-Panjnad and Chashma-Jhelum link canals, pushing Sindh further towards devastation. Punjab government has not stopped filling its dams and is stealing Sindh’s share of water.

He stated that at Guddu Barrage, the water shortage has reached 84%, at Sukkur Barrage it is 26%, and at Kotri Barrage it stands at 55%. While Sindh is crying out for water, Punjab continues to flow water through the Dacoit Canal (Dhaarelu Wah). Punjab has increased the flow of the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal to 12,000 cusecs and the Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal to 7,255 cusecs. He added that Sindh’s water is being stolen from Taunsa to Guddu, and there is no record or accountability for the stolen water.

He also strongly criticized the Sindh government, saying it has surpassed all limits of apathy. The Pakistan People’s Party is not willing to utter a single word about the water crisis. The Chief Minister of Sindh remains silent. He further said that while Sindh’s water is being looted on one hand, on the other, its mineral resources are being eyed. In Balochistan, the Mines and Minerals Act has been passed to occupy the region’s resources, and similar preparations are underway to seize Sindh’s minerals. (PR)

Read: Let the Indus River Flow Free

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Daharki, Sindh

Awami Tehreek organized a protest rally in Daharki town of Ghotki district of Sindh on May 2, 2025 against the corporate farming, six canals, artificial water scarcity, and the reign of bandits.

The rally was led by Awami Tehreek’s Central President Advocate Vasand Thari, Central Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiyar, Advocate Sachal Bhutto, Advocate Sarwan Jatoi, and leaders of the Sindhyani Tehreek Shamshad Bappar, Paras Bhutto, Rehana Baloch, Seema Kalhoro, and Sorath Bhatt. Also present were Awami Tehreek Ghotki District leaders Ustad Jamal Bhutto, Mashooq Chachar, Saddam Oghahi, Vasand, and others.

Speaking at the sit-in in front of the press club, Advocate Vasand Thari, Noor Ahmed Katiyar, Sachal Bhatti, Sarwan Jatoi, Shamshad Bappar, and others said that the rulers of Punjab have blocked Sindh’s water. They stated that despite a large volume of water available in the Indus system, Sindh’s water has been stopped. Flood canals from Punjab, including TP and CJ Link Canals and other flood channels, have been opened. “By looting Sindh’s share of water, the once fertile Sindh has been turned barren,” they lamented.

They argued that Sindh is not even receiving water under the 1991 water accord. The PPP is staging a drama in the CCI (Council of Common Interests) to sell out the Indus River. The CCI is dominated by Punjab and is a unilateral, anti-federation, and anti-nation institution. The people of Sindh will trample on every anti-Sindh decision made by the CCI.

The leaders stated that the issue of Sindh’s water remains unresolved, and for over a century and a half, Punjab’s rulers have been looting Sindh’s water—Sindh will hold them accountable. They declared that as long as there is sand in the riverbed, their struggle will continue.

They further stated that millions of acres of Sindh’s land are being handed over to corporations. If the PPP does not cancel the lease of 52,713 acres, the consequences will be worse than what happened during the anti-canal movement. The people of Sindh will continue their peaceful democratic struggle to protect their land and river until the last drop of their blood.

The leaders also alleged that districts like Ghotki, Kandhkot, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, and Sukkur have been deliberately handed over to bandits. The riverine area has been turned into a market for the sale of NATO weapons. Police and elected representatives are acting as patrons of these bandits.

Read: PPP accused of selling the Indus River

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Sukkur | Badin, Sindh

On the occasion of World Water Day, Awami Tehreek organized protest demonstrations in Sukkur and Badin cities of Sindh.

In Sukkur, the demonstration was held at the banks of the Indus River near Sadh Belo. As a tribute to the Indus, flowers were showered on the river. The protesters vowed to continue their movement against the construction of six new canals and demanded access to clean drinking water for seventy million people of Sindh.

They also called for the removal of all dams and canals built on the Indus River to restore the natural water cycle (hydrological cycle.) Furthermore, they emphasized the need to release at least 30 million acre-feet of water annually downstream Kotri Barrage on an emergency basis to protect Indus Delta.

Addressing the demonstration, Awami Tehreek’s central president Advocate Vasand Thari, senior vice president Noor Ahmed Katiar, Sarwan Jatoi, Advocate Sachal Bhatti, Ayaz Kaloi, Sarwech Sindhi, Fayaz Soomro, Sindhiyani Tehreek’s Sukkur district president Shamshad Bapar, Paras Bhatti, Hina Baloch, Noor Bano Brohi, Fiza Phulpoto, and other leaders strongly criticized the government. They stated that with the support of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the Maryam Nawaz-led Punjab government has expedited the construction of the Cholistan Canal. They alleged that Sindh’s Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was aware of Punjab’s plans to build this canal eight months ago, yet he misled the public by falsely claiming in the media that no such project was underway. According to the leaders, the PPP is pretending to oppose these canals while actually working to sabotage Sindhi people’s struggle against them.

The leaders also declared that the Sindhi nation would not participate in the PPP’s so-called protests. They asserted that the movement to save the Indus River would not be led by the PPP but by Sindh’s farmers and laborers. They accused the PPP of attempting to hijack the struggle for its own political gains, but emphasized that Sindhis would carry forward their movement under the leadership of the working class rather than feudal lords. Women, children, the elderly, students, farmers, and laborers of Sindh would be at the forefront of this struggle.

The leaders further highlighted that while the world was observing World Water Day, Pakistan’s rulers were implementing projects that would further contaminate the country’s water resources. They pointed out that the blockage of water to the Indus Delta has already led to the destruction of mangrove forests, causing severe environmental devastation. They warned that glaciers were melting at an alarming rate due to number of dams and canals. The protesters demanded that at least 30 million acre-feet of water be released below Kotri Barrage to restore mangrove forests and ensure the protection of glaciers.

Meanwhile, in Kario Gahnwar town of Badin, Awami Tehreek organized a rally from Nizamani Pump to Shaheed Fazil Rahu Chowk to protest against the amendments to the IRSA Act, corporate farming, and the construction of six new canals. The rally was led by Awami Tehreek’s Central Information Secretary Lal Jarwar, Sindhiani Tehreek leader Zarqa Halepoto, Awami Tehreek Badin’s president Mehran Dars, Mukhtiar Bakari, Jakhro Nohani, Hamero Mal, Imamuddin Nizamani, Noor Ahmad Nizamani, and others.

Speaking on the occasion, the leaders strongly condemned the Pakistan People’s Party for its deceitful tactics and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the notification allocating 52,713 acres of Sindh’s land to Green Corporate Initiative. They also called for the reversal of President Asif Ali Zardari’s amendments to the IRSA Act and the consent to construct new canals from the Indus River, terming these moves as anti-Sindh.

The leaders accused PPP of supporting Green Pakistan and corporate farming projects at the cost of Sindh’s land, resources, and water rights. They dismissed PPP’s announced protests against the canals as a “sham and a fraud”, arguing that the party was shedding crocodile tears to mislead the Sindhi people. They claimed that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah himself admitted that work on the Cholistan Canal began eight months ago, proving that the Sindh government had secretly approved the project.

The protesters declared that workers, farmers, students, children, elderly, and women from all over the Sindh would continue their struggle to protect the Indus River. They urged the public to boycott PPP’s protests, arguing that participating would only serve to cover up PPP’s deception. They further added that any forces supporting PPP’s protests were also complicit in Sindh’s exploitation.

Read: Indus River: Lifeline of Sindh

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From Correspondent

Jacobabad, Sindh

Protest rallies on Sunday continued against the killing of Saddam Lashari in an alleged police encounter about a week ago in Thulh town of Jacobabad district.

The protest rallies were taken out by Thulh All Parties Action Committee against the killing of Saddam Lashari in Thulh, Jacobabad and other cities.

Owing to protest rallies and sit-in at city roads the traffic was suspended for Thulh-Kandhkot.

Protesters said that Ghulam Nabi Bajarani, SHO of A-Section police station of Thulh had picked up Saddam Hussain S/o Mughul Lashari, resident of Jillani ground and registered a case for taking away his motorcycle seven days ago.

SHO had allegedly demanded one million rupees from his parents for his release.

They said that when the parents of Saddam Lashari did not pay bribe, SHO handed over him to Abad police. Abad police killed Sadam Lashari in a fake encounter on Monday last.

Mughal Lashari, the father of slain Saddam Lashari and Rashida Lashari, sister of the youth told that the boy was innocent and termed it extrajudicial killing.

They said that no one is listening to their cries. Mughal Lashari said that his son’s blood should be supported for justice.

They demanded judicial probe instead of JIT formed by IGP Sindh to investigate the killing of youth bringing the involved police officers to justice.

Meanwhile, Sher Muhammad Leghari, Station House Officer of the Abad Police Station in his FIR No: 18 /2023 said that the armed man fired on the police when it reached there on the secret information.

He said that police retaliated but Saddam Lashari was killed in the fire of his accomplices who managed to escape leaving the body of Saddam. Pistol and bullets were also recovered from a dead body of Saddam, SHO claimed.

Meanwhile DIG Larkana on the orders of IGP Sindh had assigned SSP Shikarpur Amjad Ahmed Shaikh and SSP Larkana Dr. Muhammad Imran to probe the murder of Saddam Lashari within three days.

According to the postmortem report, young Saddam Lashari was shot four times in the alleged encounter, two in the chest and two in different parts of the body, which were not pistols but rifles.

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