The senior minister of Sindh of Information, Transport and Transit Mass, Sharjeel Inam Memon, has stated that the contentious problem of the channel has been completely solved and has ended the leadership of the president of PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zarari, said Express News.
In his statement on Sunday, Memon praised the “tireless efforts and the effective strategy” used by Bilawal, which he had successfully resolved the channel dispute. He stressed that the problem has now been completely approached.
In addition, he announced that the matter will be officially closed after the next meeting of the Common Interests Council (CCI) on May 2. “This problem will close permanently after the official CCI meeting,” he said. He also appealed to all political parties and the legal community to guarantee the reopening of the roads affected by the protests.
He emphasized the urgency of reopening roads to facilitate the soft flow of transport of goods and avoid more economic losses. “The closure of the roads has severely impacted the public, livestock, imports, exports, farmers and the poor,” Memon said, urging them to be taken immediately to restore traffic.
His statement occurs after at least six people, including a lawyer, were injured in the Karachi Gulan-I-Hadeed area on Sunday when the police collided with members of the legal fraternity during an attempt to finish their five-day sitting against the Canal Project.
Earlier this week, the Government arrested the Canals project, which was opened in February by the Chief General of the Army and Punjab Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The decision followed months of protests, a resolution of the Unanimous Sindh Assembly that opposes the project and growing concerns about the suspension of India of the Indo Water Treaty. The Government confirmed that the work in the channels would remain waiting until a consensus in the CCI is reached.
However, despite the government’s announcement, protests against the issue continued in several cities of Sindh on Saturday, along with a strike called Jamaat-I-Islami. The lawyers organized a sitting in Babarloi in the Khairpur district, and the manifestation in the Gulan-I-Hadeed of Karachi entered its fifth day on Sunday.
Memon also suggested that if the protests will continue, the least that can be done is to open the roads for the free circulation of traffic. “It would be better if the protests end, but at least, roads should be cleaned to avoid traffic interruption. Protests must remain peaceful so that public life can return to normal,” he added.
The main minister also mentioned that the Sindh government is in constant contact with the legal community and political parties. “The Sindh government is ready for negotiations with all interested parties,” he said, asking the political parties and lawyers to monitor disruptive elements.
Memon concluded urging a collective and wise approach to decision making, declaring: “In the current national situation, we all need to make decisions carefully and together.
