- Law enforcers disperse crowd using baton charges.
- Lanjar orders strict action against those involved.
- Bilawal Bhutto condemns attack on Lanjar’s house.
Protesters demonstrating against controversial six-canal project on Tuesday stormed and set fire to the residence of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar in Naushahro Feroze district, vandalising property and torching household items.
The protesters stormed the minister’s residence, located in Moro city near the National Highway, vandalised the property, and set household belongings ablaze. They also torched two trailers parked nearby.
The Cholistan Canals issue was as a key point of contention between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government in the Centre.
The federal government had planned to construct six canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert — a project that was rejected by its main ally PPP, and other Sindh nationalist parties.
According to government sources, the estimated cost of the Cholistan canal and system is Rs211.4 billion and through the project, thousands of acres of barren land can be used for agricultural purposes and 400,000 acres of land can be brought under cultivation.
Almost all political and religious parties, nationalist groups and civil society organisations along with lawyers staged rallies and sit-ins across Sindh against the controversial plan.
However last month, the project was rejected by the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which overturned the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council’s (ECNEC) decision made on February 7.
“No new canals will be constructed without mutual understanding and consensus among all provinces… Centre will not move forward with any plans until a comprehensive agreement is reached between the provinces,” stated a statement issued by Prime Minister Office following the all-important CCI meeting.
Despite the CCI’s decision, protests against the project continued across the Sindh, with the government urging the demonstrators to end them.
Clashes broke out between police and protesters today as law enforcement attempted to disperse the crowd using baton charges.
Protesters retaliated with stone-pelting, resulting in injuries to a station house officer (SHO) and two policemen. Meanwhile, five protesters were also injured during the clash. All the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.
According to police, the protesters have now been dispersed.
Meanwhile, Lanjar took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from SSP Naushahro Feroze. He ordered strict action against those who “challenged the writ of the state”.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also strongly condemned the attack on Zia’s residence, calling it an “act of terrorism”.
He said those exploiting the cover of protest to spread violence had exposed their malicious intent and urged strict action against those responsible for disturbing public order.
