Sindh, April 29 (NationPress) Protests have escalated in Sindh province of Pakistan against the proposed construction of six new canals on the Indus River, as the Council of Common Interests (CCI) has failed to reach any consensus among the protesting legal professionals. The lawyers' association, dissatisfied with the CCI proposal, has opted to persist with their sit-in protest that commenced last week at the Babarloi bypass in Khairpur district, according to local media reports.

The CCI, recognized as Pakistan's highest constitutional authority, was initially set to convene on May 2, but that meeting has been postponed to Monday due to the escalating situation in Sindh amid ongoing protests against the canal initiative.

However, the “emergency CCI meeting” did not announce the complete cancellation of the six-canal project. Instead, it reaffirmed the federal government's previous stance that the project will only advance if the CCI and the provinces reach an agreement, as reported by the Pakistani daily The Express Tribune.

“The CCI supports the federal government's policy. The federal government has determined that no new canals will be constructed without mutual agreement from the CCI. It has been resolved that the federal government will not proceed further until a consensus is achieved among the provinces,” an official statement released post-meeting declared.

Speaking to the media in Kashmore-Kandhkot district, President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Barrister Sarfaraz Ali Metlo, emphasized that lawyers are demanding the issuance of notifications to cancel not only the six canal project but also corporate farming initiatives. He asserted that the lawyers' protests will persist despite the CCI's announcement.

“From day one, we have insisted that the government must officially cancel both the six canal projects and corporate farming,” he emphasized.

He cautioned that if the government delays issuing the notifications, protests will escalate across the province.

In an interview with The Express Tribune, Advocate Sajjad Ahmed Chandio, a member of the lawyers' committee formed to engage with the government, indicated that a majority of the lawyers have dismissed the CCI's decision.

The CCI's declaration has also faced backlash from nationalist leaders and social activists who echo demands for the project's cancellation.

Social activist Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr criticized the CCI's decision, stating it does not align with their demands for the cancellation of the canals and corporate farming project.

“The government is ignoring the people's demands because this CCI meeting was convened in haste, driven by fear of public discontent,” he added.