Awami Tehreek Pc
Imran
Shikarpur
A conference organized by Awami Tehreek was held at Shikarpur Press Club on Thursday against corporate farming, the construction of six new canals, the "dacoit rule," and the issuance of national identity cards to Biharis, Bengalis, and Burmese. The conference was attended by writers, poets, intellectuals, laborers, lawyers, peasant leaders, teachers, students, and political activists.
The conference was addressed by Awami Tehreek’s Central Senior Vice President Noor Ahmad Katiar, Central General Secretary Advocate Sajjid Hussain Mahesar, Central Vice President Sattar Rind, Central information Secretary Lal Jarwar, Central Leaders Pirha Soomro, Sachal Bhatti, Sarwan Jatoi, Awami Tehreek Shikarpur District Organizer Sattar Soomro, and social worker Dr. Wazir Ghunio, Azad Mughal, Leader of Sindhiani Tehreek Kousar Phulpoto, Sindhoo Bapar, Poet and Writer Muhammad Sharif "Shaad", Imran Mangi, Rashid Ali Lashari, and Zaman Kalhoro.
Speaking on the occasion, the leaders said that spreading a network of canals on the Indus River to block Sindh's water is an act of terrorism, genocide against millions of people living in Sindh, and a conspiracy against national integrity. They accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of facilitating this terrorism in collaboration with Punjab's rulers and the establishment.
The leaders stated that extracting six new canals from the Indus River to render Sindh's fertile lands barren while irrigating millions of acres of Punjab's barren lands is an anti-state, anti-Sindh, and Greater Punjab agenda. They further added that under the SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council), Sindh's lands and resources are being auctioned off, with more than 1.3 million acres being handed over to foreign investors through corporate farming.
They criticized the Green Corporate Initiative Private Limited Company, comparing it to the British colonial-era East India Company, attempting to seize control of Sindh. The leaders expressed concern that Sindh’s lands are being given to invader companies instead of local farmers.
The speakers further revealed that the construction of six new canals is a deliberate strategy to dry up Sindh and prosper Punjab. They mentioned that through strategic projects like the Greater Thal Canal and the Cholistan Canal, there is a plot to turn Sindh into a desert, which will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
They questioned the Army Chief's involvement in inaugurating controversial projects alongside Maryam Nawaz, terming it a matter of grave concern. Taking over Sindh’s water, land, and resources, they said, is a direct attack on Sindh's existence.
The leaders accused the PPP of deceiving the public by pretending to oppose these canals only through the media while, in reality, betraying the resources of sindh. They alleged that the PPP government has established a "dacoit rule" in Sindh, with the kidnapping industry thriving under the government's protection. Instead of taking action against dacoits, the police are serving feudal lords and tribal chiefs. According to the leaders, tribal chieftains and government officials are involved in supplying modern smuggled weapons of NATO to dacoits.
They said that the dacoits of kidnapping laborers and innocent children, subjecting hostages to sexual abuse, and sharing videos online, while the PPP government remains unwilling to act against them.
The leaders also alleged that the PPP is planning to issue national identity cards to Burmese, Biharis, and Bengalis, which they see as a dangerous conspiracy to alter Sindh’s demographic makeup. They criticized the legislative efforts in the National Assembly to grant identity cards to Biharis and Burmese, calling it part of an anti-Sindh plot.
They warned that after targeting Sindh's resources, there is now an attack on Sindh’s identity. The people of Sindh, they declared, will never accept any foreigner as a citizen of Sindh.
Resolutions of the Conference Held by Awami Tehreek at Shikarpur Press Club on February 20, 2025, against Corporate Farming, Six New Canals, Dacoit Rule, and the Issuance of Identity Cards to Biharis and Burmese.
The conference strongly condemns the occupation of lands in Sindh, Balochistan, and across the country through corporate farming. It demands the halt of corporate farming projects, the distribution of lands to local landless farmers, and the implementation of agrarian reforms by abolishing large feudal estates (jageers and Katie's)
Projects like the Cholistan Scheme and Greater Thal Canal should be terminated, and Sindh must receive its rightful share of water. The six new canals are part of a genocidal plan against Sindhis so they should be immediately abolished. The conference calls for the complete eradication of tribal terrorism, the "dacoit rule," and the illegal Jirga (tribal court) system, ensuring security and justice for the people of Sindh. The district administration should not function as a personal force of feudal lords and tribal chiefs. Effective measures must be taken to restore peace and ensure the safety of citizens and their property. The conference raises critical questions: How do NATO's smuggled modern weapons reach dacoits? Who funds the purchase of these advanced weapons and provides training to the dacoits? Why is there no decisive operation against the dacoits? The conference demands the formation of a judicial commission to answer these questions and bring tribal chiefs and government officials who support the dacoits to justice.
The issuance of identity cards to Biharis, Burmese, Bengalis, and other foreigners is considered an act of treason. The conference demands an immediate halt to the issuance of fake domiciles and identity cards to foreigners in Sindh. It also calls for the immediate resignation of the PPP MNA who proposed issuing identity cards to Biharis and Burmese.
The conference demands that, like the Magpie River in Canada, the Indus River should also be granted legal personhood. Any manipulation of the river’s flow, construction of new canals, and dam projects should be considered criminal offenses. A minimum of 30 million acre-feet (MAF) of water should be released annually downstream of the Kotri Barrage to sustain the Indus Delta and protect the country from environmental changes. The conference considers the agricultural tax as an attack on farmers and demands its immediate withdrawal.
