BADIN: Activists of Awami Tehreek organised a rally in Rajokhanani town on Saturday as part of its ongoing protest against federal government`s plan for the construction of canals on the Indus River, corporate farming projects and `artificial` shortage of water.

The party leaders, Noor Ahmed Katiar, Mehran Dars, and others said that at a critical time when Sindh was facing extreme drought-like conditions due to `artificial` water shortage Punjab had started filling its dams and canals.

They said that water shortage at Sindh`s Guddu Barrage had reached 84 per cent, at Sukkur Barrage 26pc and at Kotri Barrage 55pc, still canals in the Punjab were flowing to the brim.

They said that Punjab had increased flows in Chashma-Jhelum link canal to 12,000 cusecs and in Taunsa-Panjnad link canal to 7,255 cusecs. Sindh`s water share was being stolen between Taunsa and Guddu barrages but no one was ever held accountable for Sindh`s stolen water, they said.

They criticised the Sindh government for its gross negligence and said the Pakistan Peoples Party was not ready to utter even a single word about the nagging water shortage.

They said that Sindh chief minister was silent on the burning issue of the province and appreciated lawyers` sit-in at Babarloi while reminding all that the decision regarding the canals had not been fully reversed.

They said the Awami Tehreek did not accept any federal institution, including the Council of Common Interests, where Punjab held majority.

They rejected all the decisions taken by the CCI and demanded that the council be restructured on the basis of principle of equality.