- Most lawyer sit-ins called off after CCI decision.
- Traffic resumes after days of highway blockades.
- Baberlo bypass protest continues pending more demands.
SUKKUR: Following the Council of Common Interests’ (CCI) decisive rejection of the controversial new canals project from the Indus River, lawyers in Sindh on Tuesday announced the end of all sit-ins except at Baberlo Bypass in Khairpur.
According to Geo News, celebrations broke out at Baberlo bypass — where a sit-in had entered its 12th day — as soon as news emerged that the federal government’s plan to construct new canals had been overturned. Protesters expressed joy and declared it a victory for Sindh’s unity and resilience.
The All Sindh Lawyers Action Committee announced that all other sit-ins across the province would be called off, and court strikes would officially end from April 30. However, the Baberlo Bypass sit-in will continue for now, with additional demands yet to be addressed.
Lawyer leader Sarfraz Metlo said the action committee would meet with Sindh government representatives in Sukkur today to press for demands including the abolition of corporate farming, withdrawal of cases against protesting lawyers, and the return of seized vehicles.
The decision on ending the Baberlo sit-in would be made after the outcome of this meeting, Metlo added.
Meanwhile, Karachi Bar President Aamir Nawaz Warraich said that while the Baberlo Bypass sit-in continues, traffic flow is no longer being disrupted. He added that when the construction of new canals has been cancelled, the corporate farming projects must also be scrapped.
Despite the decision, over 40,000 vehicles remain stranded at various points due to the previous blockades, severely disrupting the flow of goods and essential supplies between Sindh and Punjab.
In Karachi, the protest on the Link Road connecting the National Highway to the Super Highway — led by lawyers and political activists — has also concluded, allowing traffic to return to normal, according to the Traffic Police.
The protest had been ongoing for several days by lawyers and political figures, causing major traffic disruptions.
Similarly, lawyers’ sit-ins at Kandhkot, Ghotki, and other locations have also concluded, helping restore mobility across the province.
CCI rejects canals plan
The CCI, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, met a day earlier and rejected the federal government’s proposal to build new canals from the Indus River. The council also overturned the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council’s (ECNEC) approval granted on February 7.
The federal government pledged to engage all provincial governments for a long-term consensus on agricultural and water management policies.
The CCI also decided to return IRSA’s January water availability certificate and called for broader consultations with all stakeholders.
A new committee representing both federal and provincial governments will be formed to recommend solutions within the framework of the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 and the Water Policy of 2018.
The canal project, part of the Green Pakistan Initiative, sparked weeks of protests across Sindh after fears grew that the project would compromise the province’s historic water rights under the 1991 Accord.
Political and nationalist parties, civil society organisations, and lawyers united to stage massive rallies and sit-ins at strategic points, paralysing traffic on major highways.
Despite earlier assurances from the prime minister that no project would proceed without consensus, the protests persisted until the CCI’s formal decision was made.
The estimated cost of the abandoned Cholistan canals project was Rs211.4 billion, and it was aimed at bringing thousands of acres of barren land under cultivation in Punjab’s Cholistan desert.
