KARACHI: Opposition parties in Sindh, along with members of the legal fraternity, staged a sit-in outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday in protest against the proposed construction of six new canals on the Indus River.

From the joint platform of the Save Indus River Movement, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and members of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) took out a rally from Empress Market which concluded at the KPC where party leaders addressed the participants.

The demonstration saw participation from a wide spectrum of political and civil society figures, including PTI-Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh andRaja Azhar, Arsalan Khalid, Dr Masroor Sial, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and GDA leader Sardar Abdul Rahim,Sindh United Party`s Syed Munir Haider Shah and KBA president Aamir Nawaz Warraich, along with numerousworkers and activists.

The speakers termed the canals project a conspiracy against Sindh and held thePakistan Peoples Party (PPP) responsible for it.

Speaking on the occasion, Haleem Adil said the people of Sindh had awakened against those canals.

He observed that those conspiring against the Indus River were the enemies of the people of Sindh. He claimed that the 26th Constitutional Amendment was being used to undermine the judiciary.

He accused President Asif Ali Zardari of approving the controversial canals project and alleged that Bilawal BhuttoZardari was merely attempting to mislead the public. `Bilawal is playing political theatre,` he said.

Targeting the ruling party in the province, GDA leader Sardar Abdul Rahim said the PPP had been consistently misleading the public with false statements.

`From Karachi to Kashmore, the entire province of Sindh is up in protest against these canals,` he said. `There is unrest throughout Sindh. Those who have compromised on Sindh`s interests are now a disgrace in the province, the GDA leader added.

He urged the people of Karachi to stand against the illegal diversion of canals from the Indus River, adding that 85 per cent of the city`s water came fromit.

Mr Rahim claimed that the international organisations` reports also warned that the river could dry up, warning Karachities that they would also face a severe water crisis if those controversial canals were built on the Indus River.

Speaking on the occasion, SUP leader Syed Munir Haider Shah stated that the country could not function amid such injustices. `President Asif Zardari has bargained over the Indus River to make his son the prime minister,` he alleged.

Barrister Arshad Shar Baloch, leader of the Pakistan Muslim LeagueFunctional, said Sindh`s lifeline was being snatched away. `The approval for these canals came from Mr Zardari, and now the PPP is shedding crocodile tears,` he said.

KBA president Aamir Nawaz Warraich said the association had passed a resolution against the proposed canals, terming them illegal.

`If Pakistan is to be saved, this project must be scrapped, or else the country`s stability will be at stake,` Mr Warraich said, adding that the legal community would continue its protest across the province unless the notification was withdrawn.

Earlier on Saturday evening, Zain Shah advised PPP leadershipwhile addressing participants of `bedari march` in Sakrand to rescind its decision on six canals.

He said that PPP should not become part of the conspiracy to loot Indus River and held Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari responsible for creating Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) which had become owners of oil, gas, land and river.

He warned that appropriate decisions should betaken if Pakistan was to be run appropriately and National Assembly must be formed with equal representation.

Any anti-Sindh decision in favour of canals by the Council of Common Interests would not be acceptable to Sindh, he said, adding `Sindh is ready for a stiff resistance`.

He said that conditions had reached such a pass for PPP that it could not hold an impressive public meeting despite spending looted funds of local bodies. Besides, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari`s speech at the gathering for Z.A.

Bhutto anniversary spoilt the party`s major annual show, he said.

He praised media for playing its role despite difficulties and called for holding of fresh elections within three months after winding up this system.

GDA secretary general Dr Safdar Abbasi said that thanks to Asif Ali Zardari even characters of Z.A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto were targeted.

He regretted that by defending his father`s politics, Bilawal was undermining his own political career, and vowed to resist attacks on Sindh`s islands, sea, resources and land.

PTI Sindh president Haleem Adil Shaikh alleged that Zardari and Bilawal had attacked Indus. Sindh`s jobs, health, education and drinking water resources had been robbed as PPP had destroyed the province.

He said the highest position of the federation was held by Bilawal`s father and his party had provided crutches to Shehbaz Sharif government.

Punjab`s information sec-retary Azma Bukhari said Mr Zardari had signed document of canals, showing his consent, he said.

Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz chairman Riaz Ali Chandio said that Sindh`s resources were being plundered after doing away with 1945 SindhPunjab agreement since the inception of the country.

He said that Sindh produced 70pc of total gas but it did not have access to it and similarly provinces produced inexpensive electricity but there was no power in the province.

He said that Bilawal told the establishment in his speech that those who were struggling for Sindh`s sea, natural resources and river were terrorists. The movement against canals was in fact agitation for Sindh`s protection, he said.

Qaumi Awami Tehreek`s general secretary Mazhar Rahujo accused rulers of thrusting war on their own people.

The arrogant rulers had started feeling frightened because conditions had changed now, he said.

Jamaat-i-1slami`s Hafiz Tahir Majeed said that Sindh had rejected PPP`s looters and plunderers.

Attempts were being made to steal Sindh`s water and take it to unirrigated area of Punjab where people knew who owned land, he said.

Awami Jamhoori Party`s secretary general Lal Shah, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional`s Rafiq Magsi, K.B. Leghari advocate and others also spoke at the gathering.

Mohammad Hussain Khan in Hyderabad also contributed to this report.