The Noushehro Feroze district of Pakistan’s Sindh province became a battleground between the police and workers of a nationalist organisation on Tuesday (May 20) as protestors blocked the National Highway in Moro taluka during agitation against six canals and corporate farming projects.
The clash soon became deadly, as at least two protestors were killed and several men on both sides were left injured.
The police reportedly used force to stop the protesters from staging a sit-in on the highway. The protesters looted some trucks and set three vehicles, including an oil tanker, on fire.
Sindh minister’s home vandalised
The angry workers vandalised the house of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, burning rooms and furniture, and even threw air-conditioner units off the roof. The situation was controlled when more private guards arrived at the house.
Videos showed the guards firing shots into the air to disperse the mob. Thick black smoke from the fires covered the sky over Lanjar House and was visible from several kilometres away.
In one video, dozens of people can be seen climbing on a truck carrying urea bags. They looted the bags, with some throwing them off the truck while others took them away on motorbikes before burning the vehicles.
Read- India Firmly Rejects Pakistan’s Plea To Revive Indus Water Treaty, Old Terms ‘Dead’
Read- India, Pakistan Agree To Withdraw Troops By End May
Traffic movement was halted for several hours on both sides of the highway. The nationalists claimed that two workers, Irfan Laghari and Zahid Laghari, were killed by police firing. At least three policemen were also injured, with their heads bleeding.
One injured policeman, bleeding from his head, tried to enter a government hospital but was thrown out. Men carrying sticks forcefully entered the petrol pump manager’s room and allegedly stole cash. Videos on social media showed protesters hitting cops with sticks and verbally abusing them, while the police responded with aerial firing and tear gas.
Reinforcements from Nawabshah and Sukkur were called in to restore order in the district. Leaders of several nationalist parties condemned the police actions, accusing the provincial government of turning peaceful protests violent. They claimed the police intended to sabotage the ongoing protests against canals and corporate farming.
What is the contentious project?
Pakistan’s federal government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, wanted to build six canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert, costing Rs 211.4 billion ($750 mn). This project aimed to make thousands of acres of barren land usable for farming, bringing 400,000 acres under cultivation.
However, the project caused a major disagreement between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government and the federal government. Notably, both parties are partners in the federal coalition government.
The PPP as well as other Sindh nationalist groups opposed it, fearing it would reduce water flow to Sindh, worsening the province’s water shortage.
Last month, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) rejected the project, overturning an earlier approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on February 7.
Despite this decision, protests continued across Sindh, with demonstrators demanding a clear guarantee that the project will be fully stopped. The government has urged protesters to end their demonstrations, but many remain unconvinced without an official notification.
Source – Firstpost
Agencies
