KARACHI: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed concerns over a criminal case registered against nearly 100 students in Jamshoro for participating in a protest against new canals project.

`We deplore the use of disproportionateforce againstthe protesters,afterthepolice attempted to prevent them from gathering on the Indus Highway.

`We remind the Sindh government that under internationalbest practices, non-violent assemblies that obstruct public roads should not be dispersed with force solely on the basis of the disruption they cause,` said the rights organisation in a statement.

It demanded that the FIR be withdrawn and those still in custodyreleased.

On March 4, the Jamshoro police had baton-charged and fired teargas shells to disperse students protesting against Cholistan canal and other water chan-nels being created to irrigation millions of acres of Panjab lands with Indus water.

A case was registered against the protesting students.