STP announces protest movement against Indus River canal plan

HYDERABAD: Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party (STP) Chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has demanded that the government withdraw its decision of constructing the Cholistan Canal.

Addressing a press conference at his residence, he said the Sindhis talked about the country's interest and integrity. He added that the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) was the only constitutional body that could take decisions related to water distribution.

He alleged that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were trying to change the structure of IRSA.

He said Sindh wanted to make Pakistan a better country in which all nations could live on the basis of equality.

He warned that if anyone wanted to chase the people of Sindh away, they would meet resistance.

Dr Maqsi reminded Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of a resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly concerning canals on the Indus River. He said that either the MPAs who voted for the resolution should dissociate themselves from Bilawal or Bilawal should expel them from his party.

The STP chief maintained that the people of Sindh were aware of the fact that water was the issue of their survival.

He announced that it had been decided in an STP meeting that the party would hold a sit-in on October 30 at the Sukkur Babarlo Bypass against the construction of canals. He added that the party would hold the Martyrs' Day rally on November 3 and a sit-in at Sakrand Bypass on November 9, following which it would observe the death anniversary of Altaf Jaskani on November 18.

On November 20, he said, the STP would hold a sit-in at the Hatri Bypass in Hyderabad and on November 24, another sit-in at Fountain Chowk in Karachi.

He was of the view that Federal Minister Musaddiq Malik did not know anything about water distribution, and so he always talked about water needs of Punjab.

Dr Magsi said Sindh was not getting due share in water and its delta was being badly affected.

The STP chairman said that if more canals were constructed on the Indus River, there would be no water for Sindh.

He alleged that the Pakistan Peoples Party was doing politics based on opportunism whereas the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was hostile towards Sindh.