Lawyers in Sindh on Tuesday announced an end to all sit-ins against the proposed Cholistan canals project except at Baberlo Bypass in Khairpur, which they said will continue until additional demands are addressed by the provincial government.
A day earlier, a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) shelved the canals project, stressing that no new water infrastructure projects will be developed without mutual consensus of all stakeholders. The announcement prompted celebrations across Sindh, with protesters declaring it a victory of their resistance. However, while political parties said they would now end their demonstrations, the All Sindh Lawyers Action Committee said it would continue one demonstration.
Sarfraz Metlo, president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, told media it would meet with representatives of the Sindh government in Sukkur today to demand the abolition of corporate farming; withdrawal of cases against protesting lawyers; and the return of seized vehicles. Pending the results of that meeting, he said, a decision would be reached on ending the Baberlo sit-in.
Karachi Bar President Aamir Nawaz Warraich said the end to all the other sit-ins allowed traffic to resume. However, he said, the provincial government must accept the lawyers’ remaining demands if it desired a complete return to normalcy.
The decision to allow traffic to resume is a boon for transports, traders and exporters, who have repeatedly called on the government to end the standoff or risk significant economic losses. The prolonged demonstrations had left over 40,000 vehicles stranded at various points, severely disrupting the flow of goods and essential supplies between Sindh and Punjab. Even with the resumption of normal flow of traffic, experts say it will likely take several days for the backlog to be resolved and traffic flow to return to normal.