'Punjab should not turn Sindh barren'

Former chairman Senate and ex-federal law minister Farooq H. Naek belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party has cautioned the federal and Punjab governments against going ahead with the controversial canals project.

Talking to the media outside SHC Hyderabad on Thursday, Naek asked the Punjab govt not to turn Sindh into a barren land.

"The canals should not be built. Sindh's water should not be stopped."

He said, it would be a big injustice by Punjab if they stopped water by building canals. He observed that the residents of Sindh, farmers and peasants as well as their agriculture sector and economy would immensely suffer.Naek said President Asif Ali Zardari, being the head of the state, recently briefed the parliament about the repercussions of the canals project. He emphasised that the government should listen to the president because stopping a province's water would be a gross injustice.

Meanwhile, protests against the canals continued across the province on Thursday, demanding of the centre and Punjab to roll back the project. The Sindhi nationalist leaders have been warning that they will block the highways which are used for trade by Punjab for imports, exports and trade.