Protests against the proposed canal project from the Indus River continue to escalate across Sindh, resulting in the paralysis of road transport and judicial operations in various districts.
Lawyers have declared that sit-ins will persist until the government formally revokes the project.
In Khairpur, the lawyers’ sit-in has entered its ninth day at the Babarlou Bypass on the National Highway. In Ghotki, two sit-ins are ongoing — one by nationalist groups at the Mangrio Pump site near Daharki, and another by lawyers at the Sindh-Punjab border near Kamo Shaheed.
Both groups have pledged to maintain their protests until a notification confirming the project’s cancellation is issued — despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assurance that no canal will be constructed without consensus.
Prime Minister Shehbaz and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a crucial meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, following weeks of mounting unrest across Sindh.
At a joint press conference, the Prime Minister announced that no canals would be built unless there was consensus in the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
He confirmed that the next CCI meeting on May 2 would formally endorse the agreement reached with the PPP.
Meanwhile, the ongoing demonstrations, joined by members of civil society, have led to the complete disruption of goods transport between Sindh and Punjab.
The Sindh Bar Council also declared a province-wide strike, causing widespread disruption in legal proceedings. Courts in Hyderabad, Larkana, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, and other cities were boycotted, with the City Court remaining locked even on Friday. Hundreds of cases were adjourned without hearings, causing distress to litigants.
The transport blockade has had severe repercussions beyond Sindh. In Faisalabad, over 1,000 containers belonging to the textile sector — loaded with export and import goods — remain stranded due to road closures in Sindh. This has created a critical shortage of raw materials, disrupting factory production.
According to Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce officials, two export vessels have already been missed, impacting exports scheduled two weeks ago.
Speaking to Geo News, the chamber’s president described the situation as critical and urged immediate intervention from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
He warned that continued disruptions could cause irreparable damage to Pakistan’s economy and appealed to all relevant authorities to help restore operations promptly.
“We understand the government is trying to bring improvement, but such incidents are damaging our exports,” he stated.
