KARACHI/HYDERABAD: The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and the Save Indus River Movement (SIRM) on Tuesday termed the federal government`s decision to postpone the controversial canals project a collective victory for the political consciousness of the province.

According to a joint statement, a consultative meeting of the SIRM hosted by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has been called for Wednesday (today) where the future course of action will be decided.

The GDA and SIRM leaders said it was a collective victory for lawyers, political workers, youth, students, farmers, women, children, the elderly,journalists and individuals from all walks of life who raised their voices against the canals project.

The SIRM leaders also demanded cancellation of the orders regarding land allotments for corporate farming in the province.

The joint statement was signed by the movement`s convener Syed Zain Shah, GDA chief coordinator Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashdi, Dr Safdar Ali Abbasi, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Kashif Saeed Sheikh, Riaz Chandio, Sardar Abdul Rahim, Hasnain Mirza, Masroor Khan Jatoi, Mir Khadim Talpur and others.

The leaders said that the conscious people of Sindh, despite extreme heat and harsh weather, held peaceful andpowerful protests across cities, towns, and villages in defence of their rights, which led to this temporary success.

They demanded that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh chief minister immediately cancel the illegal allotment of millions of acres of land in the province so that the canals project could be permanently scrapped.

Congratulating the public on this temporary resolution, the leaders said the success was only made possible through a historic public struggle.

They reaffirmed their commitment to continue the united struggle against the illegal land allotment s, the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (Peca) and the 26th Constitutional Amendment, and to keep fighting for Sindh`s rights.Meanwhile, Sindh United Party (SUP) president Syed Zain Shah, speaking at a press conference in Jamshoro on Tuesday, said that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) decision was only temporary in nature and there were fears that the plan would be included in the agenda again.

He said that the SIRM meeting would be held on April 30 (today) in Karachi to devise a future strategy.

He said that if the canals project was reconsidered, the SUP would respond with a more forceful and effective reaction.

He added that the new canals were in fact aimed at destroying Sindh`s water resources, agriculture, and environment.

He said the SUP opposed the creation of a new commandareainthe countrybecause the river system does not have surplus water to meet such a demand.

`The Indus River is not just a river, but a symbol of Sindh`s civilisation, economy and national identity,` he said.

The SUP president announced that a march would be held from Badin to Golarchi on May 7 against handing over of Sindh`s lands for the Green Pakistan Initiative.

He demanded cancellation of all land allotments in Sindh`s districts.

He said that the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) would also hold a public meeting on May 10 in Hyderabad, which would be addressed by leaders from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.