Protests across Sindh continue to gain momentum despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assurances that no new canals will be constructed from the Indus River without consensus.
Lawyers, civil society, nationalist groups, and political leaders are demanding the federal government formally cancel the six-canal project through a binding notification signed by both the Prime Minister and the President.
In Khairpur, a sit-in by the local bar association entered its eighth day on Friday, with participation from bar councils across Sindh. Leaders have vowed to continue the protest until an official cancellation notification is issued.
In Karachi, the Sindh Bar Council's ongoing strike has led to courtroom lockouts at City Courts for the fourth consecutive day, disrupting hundreds of hearings and delaying the presentation of undertrial prisoners. Proceedings at the Sindh High Court, however, remained unaffected.
Meanwhile, major sit-ins in Ghotki at Daharki and Kamo Shaheed have paralyzed goods transport across the Sindh-Punjab border, with highways blocked for nearly a week. Protesters insisted their aim is not to inconvenience the public but to protect Sindh’s water rights.
Protests were also held in Dadu under the Muttahida Dehaat Ittehad, drawing farmers, civil society, and lawyers, while a sit-in on the Indus Highway in Mehar concluded after traffic to Karachi and Larkana was restored.
In Hyderabad, the local journalists' union staged a protest camp outside the Press Club, joined by political, business, and civil society leaders. Speakers condemned both the canal project and corporate farming initiatives, labelling them threats to Sindh’s water security.
The unrest continues despite a recent meeting between PM Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, where the premier pledged that no canal would be built without Council of Common Interests (CCI) approval. A formal endorsement is expected at the next CCI meeting on May 2.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called the agreement a “major victory” for the province, while Bilawal reaffirmed that the PPP would protect Sindh’s water rights. Nonetheless, demonstrators remain unconvinced, insisting that only a jointly signed cancellation notification will bring an end to the widespread protests.
