RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Seraiki organisations staged a unique protest on `Phool Day` (Flower Day) by placing flowers in the Indus River to symbolise their growing concerns over its `exploitation`.

The activists decried the diversion of six canals from the river, which they claimed is `robbing` its waters and gradually turning the once-thriving Seraiki Wasaib into a barren landscape.

The protest took place at the Benazir Shaheed Bridge, where Seraiki activists gathered to throw flowers into the river.

The event also served as a platform for political expression, with demonstrators chanting slogans in support of the creation ofaSeraikiprovince.

Prominent Seraiki leaders, including Zahoor Dhareja, Khawaja Ghulam Fareed Koreja,KhalilBukhari,Muzhar Saeed Gopang, Jam Fayyaz Mohana, and Rashid MajnooGanga, addressed the gathering. They strongly condemned the extraction of water through the six canals, which they argued has inflicted irreparable damage on the region, leaving the once-mighty Indus dry.

The leaders also criticised the provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for their continued opposition to the Seraiki cause.

DEVOTEES STRANDED: Hundreds of devotees visiting the shrine of Dadhi Karam Khatoon in the Cholistan Desert were left stranded for several hours on Tuesday due to blocked roads and difficult travel conditions, around 45 km from here.

The visitors, including women and children, found themselves trapped as vehicles became stuck in a standstill, with no passage available due to cars being parked head-tohead.

Reports said many among the stranded suffered from hunger and thirst, with womenand children particularly in distress.

The shrine, located deep in the Cholistan Desert (Rohi), is only accessible via a dirt road, which had become impassable.

Many families who had traveled to visit the shrine on the second day of Eid were unable to move forward or retreat, leaving them stranded in the harsh desert conditions. The situation worsened due to a large waterlogged area on both sides of the blocked road, raising concerns of a potential breach and flooding.

However, after five hours of being stranded, Deputy Commissioner Khurram Pervez took notice of the crisis, prompting the district administration to intervene. Authorities worked tirelessly to clear the roads and ensure the safe return ofthe trapped devotees.

A video capturing the tense situation had surfaced earlier, underscoring the urgency of the matter and prompting swift action from the local administration.