Lawyers end sit-in at Baberlo Bypass after CCI decision on canals project

The All Sindh Lawyer Action Committee announced ending the protest at Baberlo Bypass after the Council of Common Interests (CCI) postponed the construction of the disputed canals project on the Indus River project. 

The announcement came after Chief Minister Murad Ali presented Sindh’s case at the CCI meeting, where the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) supported the Sindh government’s arguments and announced a halt to the construction of canals at the Indus River. 

Protesters in Khairpur's Baberlo Bypass area, who had been demonstrating for 12 days, announced the end of their protest and also said that strikes in courts would end on April 30.

Read: PPP warns of dismantling federal govt over canals issue

Sarfaraz Metlo, an action committee leader, said they would meet Sindh government representatives in Sukkur within 24 hours to discuss concerns over corporate farming. 

He stated they would urge the government to eliminate cases against lawyers that were filed during the protest and release their seized vehicles.

Notably, the protesters dispersed from the sit-in at the Sindh-Punjab border, restoring traffic in the area. The development took place after the government acknowledged the concerns of the protesters and accepeted their demands to halt the controversial canals project. 

Earlier, goods transporters had staged a rally and protests at the Chief Minister House and the Governor House against the closure of highways due to protests over the canals project, which had paralysed the transportation of goods across the country. 

Read: CCI withdraws canals project amid widespread Sindh protests

Malik Shehzad Awan, a representative of the goods transporters' association, stated that more than 40 loaded trucks had been stuck in Sukkur for ten days, and goods worth millions were deteriorating in the trucks.

Six Canals Project

Pakistan's government has launched the $3.3 billion Green Pakistan Initiative to boost food security by building six canals across the country to irrigate millions of acres of barren land. 

However, critics argue that the project could cause water shortages in southern regions, particularly in Sindh, which fears losing water to upstream developments. 

Despite concerns, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the project in July 2024, deeming the canals "vital for agricultural development." 

The largest canal, Cholistan, is expected to be completed by 2030 at a cost of $783 million.