Govt offers talks to lawyers protesting canals project as PPP seeks to win their support

The ruling PML-N on Wednesday extended an offer for talks to lawyers in Sindh protesting the contentious canals project, while the PPP sought to gain their support for its April 25 gathering.

Chief of the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the ambitious Cholistan project to irrigate South Punjab’s lands on February 15 amid public uproar and strong reservations in Sindh. The Sindh Assembly also passed a unanimous resolution against the project in March.

The past few months have seen nationwide protests from political parties, including the ruling coalition ally PPP, and residents against the proposed project. The legal fraternity has also been staging a sit-in at the Babarloi bypass in Sindh’s Khairpur district since April 18.

PML-N Sindh president Bashir Memon called on Barrister Sarfaraz Metlo, president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association’s (SHCBA) Karachi chapter, in Khairpur today for possible talks between the federal government and the leadership of protesting lawyers.

“I met Barrister Sarfaraz Metlo to invite him for talks with [Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif] on the ongoing protest against new canals over the Indus river,” Memon told media.com over the phone from Sukkur.

The meeting was held in Khairpur near the Babarloi bypass, the venue of the protest, according to Memon.

Memon, also the former director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), said the meeting remained cordial. He claimed to have already met with Karachi Bar Association (KBA) President Aamir Nawaz Warraich.

“I was asked by PML-N Punjab President and Adviser to PM Rana Sanaullah to engage lawyers’ leadership so that negotiations can be started with federal government,” he explained.

A day ago, as PPP legislators staged a walkout from the Senate, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government was considering a multi-party consultation to address the issue.

Sanaullah has also discussed the matter with Sindh Senior Minister Shar­jeel Inam Memon three times this week to allay the provincial government’s concerns.

The former interior minister also reached out to leaders of the Sindh United Party, the Qaumi Awami Tehreek, and the Sindh chapter of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam–Fazl (JUI-F).

SHCBA’s Metlo, accepting the dialogue offer, said: “We are ready for parleys with the government.”

Metlo stressed he conveyed to Memon that lawyers were ready to hold talks, but their demands were “very specific”.

“Corporate farming and the canals project should be done away with. That’s it,” he asserted.

Emphasising that they were “very inflexible in our two demands”, he acknowledged that lawyers were indeed leading the agitation, but it was not a Sindh-wide protest by the province’s people.

The SHCBA leader said that a 14-member committee had been formed by lawyers, which would be finalised on Thursday after a meeting of the All Sindh Lawyers Action Committee (Aslac).

Metlo explained that the presidents and general secretaries of 25 district bar associations and four high court bar associations were part of Aslac. Advocate Mohammad Ghulam Rehman Korai was Aslac’s convener.

According to a letter for the 14-member committee, the body has been tasked to hold dialogue on “illegal six canals on Indus river; corporate farming and Green Pakistan Initiative; 26th Constitutional Amendment and amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca)”.

Shafqat Raheem, vice-chairman of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC), would head the committee.

Meanwhile, senior PPP leaders Syed Khurshid Shah and PPP Sindh chapter president Nisar Khuhro were also scheduled to meet lawyers in Babarloi Khairpur to invite them to join PPP’s April 25 public meeting against the canals.

According to Hyderabad District Bar Association (HDBA) President Ashar Majeed Khokhar, the 14-member lawyers committee would meet the two PPP leaders.