Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party (STPP) took out a rally from the Station Chowk to Market Chowk in Mirpurkhas on Tuesday against the decision to construct and draw new six canals from the Indus River.
Addressing the participants, STP chief Dr Qadir Magsi stated that agriculture is the only source of livelihood for the six crore people of Sindh, but the government wanted to divert the Indus water towards the desert. “If they take such a step, protests will also be held in Lahore and Islamabad,” he warned.
Magsi said that the people of Sindh had no other water source except the Indus River, but the Punjab and the federal government wanted to divert its course. He stated that six crore people of Sindh were dependent on agriculture, so constructing a new canal would turn Sindh into a desert.
He added that President Asif Zardari had approved such a project, which would destroy Sindh in the future, while Bilawal Bhutto verbally opposed it, showing double standards. He urged the business community to join the movement to save the Indus River; otherwise, they should be ready for destruction.
Magsi said: “Anyone who stops Sindh’s water is an enemy of Sindh, and those who assist in stopping it are traitors.” He declared that they were organizing gatherings and rallies across Sindh against the new canals’ plan, adding after holding a large gathering in Hyderabad on February 24, they would stage protests in Lahore and Islamabad. He urged the people of Sindh to be prepared for this battle.
STPP’s Senior Vice Chairman Gulzar Soomro, speaking at the rally, accused the rulers of Lahore of wanting to steal Sindh’s water. He stated that Sindh had been suffering losses for the past 77 years, and the rulers now wanted to destroy it further.