A large number of lawyers marched from Hyderabad before joining fellow lawyers in Karachi on Friday in protest against the federal government’s decision to construct six canals on the Indus River and 26th constitutional amendment.
When hundreds of members of the Hyderabad district and high court bar associations, Karachi Bar Association and bar associations of other towns reached Sharea Faisal near the FTC flyover, police and Rangers attempted to halt the procession, leading to minor clashes. Subsequently, authorities removed the barriers, allowing the lawyers to proceed towards the Karachi Press Club. Upon arrival at the press club, Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto) leader Zulfiqar Bhutto Junior also participated.
Students from Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Law University and SM Law College and lawyers from the Sindhu Indus Lawyers Forum also joined the protest. Writers and intellectuals, including Manzoor Solangi and Lateef Ibrahim, also joined the march.
Addressing the gathering, Hyderabad Bar Association President Ashar Khokhar declared that the lawyers had recorded a historic protest against the construction of canals on the Indus River and 26th amendment. He announced that this series of protests would not end here; after Ramazan, they planned to march on Islamabad.
Zulfiqar Bhutto Junior stated that they would not accept the construction of canals on the Indus River under any circumstances. He emphasized that while lawyers, students, and political groups in Sindh are protesting, the government remains indifferent. He warned that those who have used force against protesting students in Jamshoro two days back would face similar resistance.
Lawyer leader Sajjad Chandio mentioned that the people of Sindh have rejected the canals, and it’s time for the establishment to take notice. He recalled that the people of Sindh have participated in movements like MRD and against the One-Unit system. Now, as attempts are being made to marginalize them, they have taken to the streets once again, he added.
Lawyer leader KB Laghari highlighted that during their protest in Hyderabad, they had predicted that the home minister would have to retract his statements. He pointed out that when lawyers take to the streets, it often leads to significant change. This march is part of a broader series of protests across Sindh against the federal government’s plan to construct six canals from the Indus River. Various political, nationalist, and civil society groups have expressed concerns that these projects could lead to severe water shortages in Sindh, adversely affecting agriculture and the livelihoods dependent on the river, he said.
The legal community has been particularly vocal, with conventions and rallies opposing the canal projects. They argue that further diversions from the Indus River could render Sindh’s lands barren, terming such actions as “ecocide”. They emphasize that water distribution is an interprovincial matter and should be decided by the Council of Common Interests.
The protests underscore the deep-seated concerns among Sindh’s populace regarding water rights and the potential environmental impact of the proposed canal projects.