Nationalist alliance plans ‘Sindh Unity March’ in Larkana this week

Larkana will host a 'Sindh Unity March' this Thursday (October 15) as part of a plan by the Jeay Sindh Rehbar Committee, an alliance of four Sindhi nationalist parties. The purpose of the march is to protest the federal government's intentions to divide Sindh into multiple administrative units or create new provinces. The event is also aimed at preventing the seizure of Sindh's resources, particularly water.

The march's leader, Riaz Chandio, criticized Punjab and the PPP government for various actions, including the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, restricting people's movement, and blocking the rally route. He alleged that the PPP is a tool of Punjab and the establishment, pointing out past instances where the PPP toppled governments in Balochistan, NWFP, and supported Gen Yahya Khan against Sheikh Mujeebur Rahman's six-point plan.

Chandio highlighted that Sindh is facing a drought, economic collapse, and a destroyed agriculture sector. The water-sharing agreement between Punjab and Sindh is disputed, with Chandio claiming Sindh receives a significantly lower share than mandated. He accused Punjab of illegally occupying the Indus River and expanding dams in an unequal manner.

Sindh's delta has been devastated, and coastal areas have been eroded, leading to the loss of valuable land. Chandio also accused Punjab of stealing Sindh's electricity, coal, and gas. He argued that Sindh is a historical homeland, not merely an administrative unit, and that the 1973 Constitution denies provincial autonomy. The new administrative units, according to Chandio, serve to reinforce the colonial system and steal resources.

He denounced the state of emergency, illegal canal digging, coal extraction, coastal corridor projects, and the 'blue economy' as methods used by Punjab to take away Sindh's resources in the name of federation, Islam, and democracy.