Pakistan's vital highway paralyzed as lawyers protest new irrigation canals

Thousands of lawyers and protesters have blocked Pakistan's main commercial highway connecting the southern Sindh province to Punjab and northern regions, creating massive traffic disruptions and threatening perishable goods as the demonstration against a controversial irrigation project enters its fifth day.

The protest sit-in began April 18 near Baberlo Bypass, approximately eight kilometers from Sukkur in Khairpur district, where lawyers belonging to Karachi Bar Association are demanding the cancellation of six planned irrigation canals on the Indus River as part of the Green Pakistan Initiative.

Thousands of cargo trailers and freight trucks traveling to and from Karachi, Pakistan's largest port city, are stranded in queues stretching hundreds of kilometers. Many vehicles carry perishable goods that risk spoilage as the blockade continues.

Protestors willing to 'sacrifice their lives'

In a press conference yesterday, Karachi Bar Association President Aamir Nawaz Warraich and other leaders stated that if the canal project is not officially canceled, the sit-in will continue indefinitely. They declared their willingness to "sacrifice their lives" to ensure the movement's success.

The protesters argue that despite no surplus water in the Indus River system, constructing six new canals will deprive Sindh of its rightful water share and devastate its fertile agricultural lands. Protests against these canals have continued across Sindh for six months, though authorities have not initiated dialogue with the protesters.

The demonstration has received strong support from the Sindh High Court Bar Association, other bar associations nationwide, and various nationalist, religious, and social organizations throughout Sindh.

After receiving no government response to a 72-hour ultimatum issued April 18, lawyers at Baberlo have announced the protest's second phase, expanding road blockades to include new protests at the Sindh-Punjab border in Ghotki and Kashmore districts at Kamo Shaheed and Dera points. Lawyers across Sindh have announced a boycott of court proceedings and threatened to suspend railway traffic between Sindh and Punjab.

8,000-10,000 demonstrators at protest site

Syed Mujahid Shah, a Karachi journalist present at the Baberlo sit-in, told Nukta that approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people remain at the protest site around the clock, with the crowd highly energized despite daytime temperatures exceeding 45°C (113°F). The number of participants continues growing daily.

Various political and social organizations have established camps providing food, bedding, and other necessities. Special arrangements exist for cold water and beverages, while members of the Sindhi Association of North America have organized breakfast service. Mujahid Shah said lunch and dinner arrive in vehicles from local philanthropists and are distributed among protesters. A significant number of women are also participating, he added.

Members of civil society, doctors, paramedics, and people from various communities visit the sit-in daily in solidarity. Yesterday, a social organization provided 500 beds for participants. The situation is extremely serious, and immediate dialogue is essential to resolve the issue and restore the country's economic activity.

Backgrounder

The canal controversy centers on President Zardari's alleged approval of the project in July 2024, which he later denied, creating political complexity for the PPP as it balances federal obligations with provincial loyalty.

The blockade began as tensions escalated over the federal government's canal project. On April 18, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari threatened to quit the ruling coalition if the canal projects weren't canceled, calling them a threat to Sindh's water rights. That same day, lawyers initiated the highway blockade near Baberlo.

Despite government responses claiming "no province's water being diverted" and promises of dialogue by PM adviser Rana Sanaullah on April 21, the protests have intensified. The dispute has exposed deep cracks in the PML-N-PPP coalition, with unresolved power-sharing issues in Punjab adding to tensions.