Karachi:Jeay Sindh Qaumi Party (JSQP) on Saturday took out a rally from Fawara Chowk to Karachi Press Club (KPC) against construction of dams over Indus River and bid to occupy Karachi’s islands.
A large number of people, including women and children, led by JSQP chairman Nawaz Khan Zaunr, Muhammad Ali Khushk and Halar Unar took out a rally from Fawara Chowk and gathered outside KPC. The people carrying placards, banners and posters shouted slogans against construction of dams, including Mohmand, Bhasha, Kalabagh Dams, as well as occupying the islands of Karachi. The rally was also attended by Sindh United Party’s (SUP) Aijaz Samtio, Jeay Sindh Tahreek’s (JST) Sooriah Sindhi, Sindh Awami Sath’s (SAS) Mahar Dibai and Awami Jamhoori Party’s (AJP) Mazhar Rahoojo.
Addressing the participants, JSQP Chairman Nawaz Khan Zaunr said that Indus River is not the lifeline of Sindh and its people but is also the mother of civilization. Since the creation of Pakistan, a number of dams, including Kalabagh, Mohmand, Bhasha and Akhori Dams, have been constructed without permission and consultation of people of Sindh. He said people of Sindh had rejected all dams over Indus, but the federal government was trying to impose its decision on people of Sindh which could not be accepted.
Zaunr said they also had reservations regarding the handing over Karachi to the federal government. “No bid of this step would be accepted, as people of Sindh will resist this kind of bid because Sindh is the historical motherland of Sindhi people,” Zaunr added.
He also said that Sindh is rich with natural resources and its people are living a tough life and dying due to hunger and unemployment. Mahar Dibai said the federal government was trying to occupy islands of Karachi which is a highly condemnable step and people of Sindh reject such kind of steps because this is exploitation of their rights.
The participants of the protest demanded demolition of all dams over the Indus River and they asked the federal government to stop its bid to occupy the islands of Karachi; otherwise, a big movement would be started against these types of steps.