KARACHl: The Save the Indus Movement on Tuesday announced that a decisive campaign against the construction of six new canals on the Indus River would be launched with major demonstration in the city on April 27.

At a press conference after a meeting at the Functional League House, the movement leaders also expressed support for the Anti-Canal Action Committee`s protest in Larkana on Feb 13 and announced a protest rally from Sehwan to Mehar on Feb 16.

They said that during the month of Ramazan, Iftar gatherings would be organised to mobilise the public against the unconstitutional decision of building canals on the Indus River.

The leaders included Syed Zain Shah, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Sardar Abdul Rahim, Hafiz Tahir Majid, Dr Masroor Sial, Barrister Husnain Mirza and Manan Sheikh.

They said that two resolutions had been unanimously passed at the meeting. The first resolution condemned the PPP`s duplicity on the issue of the canals and criticised its Co-Chairman, President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, for approving the project.

The meeting demanded that Mr Zardari openly condemn the project and publicly deny any consent given for its construction.

The second resolution called for declaring the Kotri Command Area a strategic asset, emphasising that it has the primary right to the Indus River`s water.

The Kotri Barrage irrigates 4.2 million acres of land, and water scarcity in this region would pose a national food security threat.

The resolution also stated that water flowing into the sea was not wasted but was part of a natural process with environmental and economic impacts.

Save the Indus Movement Convener Syed Zain Shah stated that their movement was established specifically to oppose the construction of six new canals on the Indus River.

Grand Democratic Alliance leader Dr Safdar Abbasi said the decision to construct the six canals would create a severe water crisis not only for agriculture in rural Sindh but also in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Jamaat-i-Islami Sindh General Secretary Hafiz Tahir Majid said they were steadfast against every conspiracy to make Sindh barren.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf`s Dr Masroor Sial stated that the current rulers were illegitimate and the product of Form 47, with no constitutional or moral mandate.