The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has announced a protest campaign against the controversial six-canal project starting March 25.

Rallies and demonstrations will be held across all district headquarters of Sindh.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi alongside PPP Sindh leaders Waqar Mehdi and Aijaz Dhamrah, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro declared the party’s plan for large-scale protests.

He stated that rallies would be organised on March 25 across Sindh’s district headquarters, and protests would be staged in every street.

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Khuhro asserted that the six-canal project is illegal and should not proceed. He emphasized that PPP will oppose the project through all constitutional forums, including assemblies and public demonstrations.

He accused the federal government of reviving authoritarian practices by initiating the Cholistan canals project without approval from constitutional forums.

Comparing the current situation to the past, Khuhro recalled that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf built the Thal Canal without parliamentary approval, and now the PML-N-led federal government is acting similarly by pushing forward the Cholistan Canal and the six-canal project.

He criticised the Punjab government for allocating funds for the disputed canals in its budget, calling it an unconstitutional move. He questioned why the federal and Punjab governments began construction without any legal approval, arguing that such actions violate democratic norms.

Khuhro declared that the PPP would not allow anyone to divert water from the Indus River. He claimed that people from all walks of life in Sindh are supporting the protests. He urged the people of Sindh to unite against the canals and criticised other political parties for remaining silent on the issue while they continued to target the PPP.

The PPP Sindh president also invited all political parties, nationalist groups, lawyers, and civil society leaders to join a united struggle against the project, arguing that a collective voice would have a greater impact.

He warned that the Cholistan canal project poses an even bigger threat to Sindh than the controversial Kalabagh Dam, which, according to him, would leave Sindh barren.

Khuhro further stated that just as the PML-N was forced to abandon the Kalabagh Dam project in the past, it will have to withdraw from the six-canal project as well. He reiterated that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had already rejected the project, clarifying that it was a unilateral decision by the federal government.

He pointed out that the six-canal project was not approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) or any other constitutional forum.

The Sindh Assembly has already passed a resolution against it. He accused opponents of using the canal project as a pretext to destabilise the democratic system and pave the way for a so-called “national government.”

Khuhro also mentioned that PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has hinted at the formation of a national government, drawing parallels to Pervez Musharraf’s executive order for the Greater Thal Canal, which was widely opposed by PPP and other parties.

MQM blasts PPP over Karachi’s water crisis

Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and Sindh Assembly opposition leader Ali Khurshidi strongly criticised PPP during his speech, highlighting Karachi’s persistent water crisis.

Khurshidi pointed out that while the budget discussion was hijacked by anti-canal protests, Karachi has been deprived of its rightful share of water for the past 17 years.

He questioned whether ensuring water supply to the city was solely MQM’s responsibility, challenging PPP’s governance.

He further criticised the bureaucracy for failing to utilise allocated funds efficiently, stating that despite nine months passing, certain departments had not spent a single rupee.

He accused government officials of misleading lawmakers with hospitality while failing to deliver on development projects.