By Imtiaz Hussain
SUKKUR: A sustained protest movement against the construction of six canals on the Indus River, corporate farming, the IRSA Amendment Act, the Green Pakistan Project, and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has entered its fifth month, as Awami Tehreek and Sindhiyani Tehreek staged a massive rally in Sukkur’s Parisian City.
The demonstrators reaffirmed their commitment to resisting what they described as an engineered attempt to deprive Sindh of its rightful water resources, vowing not to relent until the controversial structures on the Indus are dismantled. Addressing the charged crowd, Awami Tehreek’s central president, Advocate Visand Thari, denounced state policies that he said threaten Sindh’s survival. He rejected the “Green Pakistan Initiative” (GPI) as a deceptive scheme that facilitates exploitation rather than development.
“These canal projects are not progress—they are a calculated strategy to divert Sindh’s water and further the dangerous agenda of ‘Greater Punjab.’ The Baloch are already resisting, the Pashtuns are discontent, and now Sindhis are being driven toward destruction. We demand an immediate halt to these projects before they further fracture national unity,” Thari declared.
The demonstrators also turned their ire toward the national media, accusing it of promoting corporate interests while ignoring Sindh’s grievances. “The so-called Green Pakistan Initiative is anti-people and anti-Sindh. Shockingly, many media houses, despite profiting from Sindh’s resources, continue to conspire against its interests. Journalists must stand with the people, not corporate elites or hidden agendas,” Thari stated.
In a broader critique of state policies, the protesters called for the immediate dissolution of the SIFC, condemning it as an undemocratic body that operates outside the purview of elected institutions. “When elected assemblies exist, there is no justification for an unelected body to dictate national policies. Established in June 2023, SIFC was supposedly meant to attract foreign investment, but instead, it has been making unilateral decisions like these canal projects without consulting democratic institutions. Pakistan’s future cannot be dictated by unelected forces,” Awami Tehreek leaders asserted.
The rally also vehemently opposed the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), calling it a direct assault on free speech. Speakers criticized President Asif Ali Zardari for endorsing “anti-people laws” that they claim are designed to silence dissent and suppress independent voices. “By signing this draconian law, Zardari has betrayed democracy and civil liberties. We demand its immediate repeal,” the leaders declared.
Led by Advocate Visand Thari, the rally featured key figures including Awami Tehreek’s senior vice president Noor Ahmed Katiyar, district president Latif Bhatti, and Sindhiyani Tehreek leaders Moomal Dahari, Sana Rajper, and Sindh Sabhita, among others. The demonstrators made their stance clear: Sindh will not compromise on its survival. They called on the government to immediately halt the canal projects, hold the media accountable for biased reporting, dissolve the SIFC, and repeal the PECA law.
