Sindh lawyers formally end protests after CCI shelves canal project

SUKKUR: A wave of relief swept through Sindh on Tuesday as lawyers officially ended their ongoing protests, following the Council of Common Interests (CCI) decision to withdraw the controversial new canals project from the Indus River.

The decision marks a significant victory for the province, which had witnessed widespread protests over concerns regarding the project’s potential environmental and socio-economic impact.

The protests, led by the All Sindh Lawyers Action Committee, had seen hundreds of lawyers and activists staging sit-ins across various cities, demanding a halt of the proposed project.

The withdrawal of the project was hailed as a major victory, particularly by those at the Baberlo Bypass protest site in Khairpur, which had entered its 12th day. The protesters celebrated the development, seeing it as a triumph for Sindh’s unity and resistance.

The announcement of the end to the protests was made by the All Sindh Lawyers Action Committee, which confirmed that all sit-ins would be called off, except for the one at Baberlo Bypass. The committee clarified that while most protests and court strikes would cease by April 30, the Baberlo sit-in would continue until several other demands, including the cancellation of corporate farming projects, were addressed.

Amir Nawaz Warraich, Sarfraz Maitlo, Rehman Korai and others stated that talks with the Sindh government would take place in Sukkur in the coming days to push forward with the remaining demands.

These include the abolition of corporate farming, the withdrawal of legal cases against protesting lawyers, and the return of confiscated vehicles. The committee made it clear that while the withdrawal of the canals project was a positive step, the fight would continue on other fronts.

All Sindh Action Committee Lawyers leaders Aamir Nawaz Waraich, Sarfaraz Maitlo, Rehman Korai and others held a joint press conference and announced the end of the sit-in from Baberloi bypass Khairpur which continued for 12 days.

Aamir Nawaz Waraich said that the federal government had fulfilled the canal demand and ended the project, but demand for corporate farming was still pending, today the members of the core committee met Zia Lanjar, and there were talks about corporate farming and leasing 14 thousand acres of land, Zia Lanjar said that we have not given the land, we will give you the papers, our negotiating committee will see these papers and take further decisions, the Sindh government committee has given a positive response, we are not afraid of India's threats, we will gouge out the eye of anyone who sees the country with my eyes.

Sarfaraz Maitlo said in a press conference that we will not allow Sindh's land to be given to anyone, Sindh's land should be given to poor farmers, farmers with less than 25 acres should be given land on lease, whenever Sindh is discussed, we will work above every relationship, we also want to tell Modi to also correct his direction.