Widespread protests in Sindh continue over controversial Indus canal project

• Highway protests disrupt transport between Sindh, Punjab.
• Courts boycotted in several Sindh cities by lawyers.
• Textile exports stuck as 1,000 containers are halted.

Protests against the proposed canal project from the Indus River continue to spread across Sindh, bringing road transport and judicial operations to a standstill in various districts.

Lawyers have announced that sit-ins will persist until the government formally cancels the project.

In Khairpur, the sit-in by lawyers entered its ninth day at the Babarlou Bypass on the National Highway. In Ghotki, two sit-ins continue — one by nationalist groups at the Mangrio Pump site near Daharki, and another by lawyers at the Sindh-Punjab border near Kamo Shaheed.

Both groups have vowed to maintain their protests until a notification confirming the project’s cancellation is issued — despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's assurance that no canal would be built sans consensus.

PM Shehbaz and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a high-stakes meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, following weeks of escalating unrest across Sindh.

At a joint press conference, the premier announced that no canals would be constructed unless there was consensus in the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

He confirmed that the next CCI meeting on May 2 would formally endorse the agreement reached with the PPP.

Meanwhile, the ongoing demonstrations, joined by members of the civil society, have led to the complete suspension of goods transport between Sindh and Punjab.

The Sindh Bar Council also declared a province-wide strike, causing widespread disruption in legal proceedings. Courts in Hyderabad, Larkana, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, and other cities were boycotted, with City Court remaining locked even on Friday. Hundreds of cases were adjourned without hearing, leaving litigants distressed.

The transport blockade has had serious repercussions beyond Sindh. In Faisalabad, over 1,000 containers belonging to the textile sector — loaded with export and import goods — remain stranded due to road closures in Sindh. This has caused a critical shortage of raw materials, disrupting factory production.

According to Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce officials, two export vessels have already been missed, impacting exports that were scheduled two weeks ago.

Speaking to Geo News, the chamber’s president described the situation as grave and urged immediate intervention from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

He warned that continued disruptions could cause irreparable harm to Pakistan’s economy and appealed to all concerned authorities to help restore operations promptly.

“We understand the government is trying to bring improvement, but such incidents are damaging our exports,” he said.