Controversy deepens over Indus canals despite PPP's opposition

Nationalist leaders dismiss Bilawal's categorical stance against canals as political melodrama

HYDERABAD:

Despite PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's recent public rejection of the proposed canals on the Indus River, protests and criticism continue to mount, with nationalist parties and opposition groups accusing the PPP of covertly supporting the controversial project.

Protest demonstrations continued across Sindh on Saturday, as leaders of Sindhi nationalist parties reiterated their firm opposition to the canals project, dismissing Bilawal's stance as politically motivated and insincere.

"Sindh is leading a movement to protect the Indus River and the lives of 60 million people who depend on it," said Dr Qadir Magsi, Chairman of the Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party, responding to Bilawal's April 4 speech in Larkana. "Bilawal is trying — and failing — to mislead the people of Sindh."

Magsi argued that anti-canal slogans have become ingrained in the public discourse, driven by growing concern over the ecological and social implications of the proposed infrastructure. "People are no longer swayed by Bilawal's theatrics," he added.

At a press conference at the Hyderabad Press Club, Awami Tehreek President Advocate Vasand Thari criticised the PPP for what he described as a dual approach: voicing opposition to the canal project while remaining silent on the issue of corporate farming.

"These are not separate issues," Thari said. "Both the canal project and corporate farming must be rejected in tandem. The latter threatens to dispossess hundreds of thousands of peasants of their right to land ownership."

He alleged that the federal establishment is using the PPP to implement its broader economic agenda under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), which he claimed aims to appropriate 1.3 million acres in Sindh and another 3.5 million acres across the country for corporate farming initiatives. Thari likened the plan to a revival of the discredited One Unit system.

Riaz Ali Chandio, leader of Jeay Sindh Mahaz, accused the PPP of duplicity, claiming the party is simultaneously facilitating the canal project behind closed doors while publicly opposing it under public pressure. "This project will render Sindh a barren wasteland," he warned, vowing that peaceful political resistance would continue unabated.

Sindh President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Haleem Adil Sheikh led a protest rally from Benazirabad to Hyderabad on Saturday, strongly condemning the canal project and alleging PPP's complicity. He was joined by Grand Democratic Alliance leader Dr Safdar Abbasi.

"The PPP has historically traded Sindh's natural resources for political gain," Sheikh said. He warned that the construction of six new canals would devastate Sindh's agriculture and cause severe water shortages in major urban centers, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, and Larkana.

Sheikh also appealed to Karachi residents to join a PTI protest outside the Karachi Press Club on April 6, cautioning that the city's water supply from Keenjhar Lake - which depends on the Indus River — could be critically affected if the canals are built.

While the PPP leadership maintains it opposes the canal project, critics insist that only concrete action — not statements — will convince the people of Sindh.

The controversy continues to escalate, placing mounting pressure on the provincial and federal governments alike.