Fifth Day of N5 Highway Blockade as Sindh Protests against Controversial Canals

The N5 Highway connecting Sindh province with Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) remains blocked on the fifth consecutive day due to the protest led by lawyers at Khairpur bypass road.

The movement against new canals on the Indus River has turned into a movement to “No More Canals on Indus,” #NoMoreCanalsOnIndus

The goods supply, trucks, buses, and private vehicles have been unable to cross Sindh for five days. The lawyers, along with civil society, are constantly protesting on the N5 Highway against the government’s decision to make new canals on the Indus River.

Truckers are sleeping in their trucks or on the road due to the blockage. Protestors have warned the federal government that if the government does not revert the decision by Friday, the railway track connecting Sindh with Punjab will be blocked as well.

The lawyers boycotted courts, and bar associations are directed to remain active in protests and rallies to save the Indus River.

The rallies and protests were carried out in Shikarpur, Sukkur, Khairpur, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, and Karachi outside the press club, demanding the government revert back to the Cholistan canal project.

It is suspected that fuel shortages in Punjab, KP, and the capital city of Islamabad are expected by the end of this week if the protests carry on on the N5 Highway.

On Tuesday, talking to the media, Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that as soon as the issue of controversial canals arose, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Sindh government immediately started efforts to resolve it.

PPP’s stance on the canals has been clear from day one; wherever meetings were held, the party opposed the construction of canals.

Speaking at a press conference at the Directorate of Social Media and Electronic Media in Karachi alongside Sindh Provincial Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and PPP Sindh Information Secretary Ajiz Dhamrah, Sharjeel Inam Memon, who also holds the portfolios for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, said that during the caretaker government on January 25, 2024, a meeting of IRSA (Indus River System Authority) was held. In that meeting, a Water Availability Certificate was issued to Punjab, suggesting that the canal project could proceed. Sindh’s representative, Ehsan Laghari, raised objections and noted that there was no water available and that the certificate should be withdrawn.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that on June 13, 2025, a summary was prepared clearly objecting to the canal project, and the next day, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah signed it. He emphasized that PPP was the first to object to the canals. Constitutionally, a CCI (Council of Common Interests) meeting must be held every 90 days, and the Sindh Chief Minister has written multiple letters requesting a CCI meeting, but none have been convened so far.

Memon reiterated that the Sindh government and PPP’s clear stance is that no canals should be built on the Indus River. PPP, being a federal party, considers the interests of Punjab and Balochistan alongside Sindh. He said they have all the letters showing their opposition to the canals and that the PPP has maintained this stance across all forums.

He mentioned that President Asif Ali Zardari, during a joint session of Parliament, said that they cannot support the project. He added that Punjab has sweet underground water, which can be used for agriculture. Recently, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah called and conveyed that the Prime Minister is keen to resolve the issue. Rana Sanaullah has been in contact both yesterday and today. Memon emphasized that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as the leader of the whole country, must address people’s concerns.

Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the people form the essence of the country and that Sindh is not even getting its due share of water under the 1991 Water Accord. He demanded that Sindh must be given its rightful share of water, legally and constitutionally.

Speaking at the press conference, PPP Sindh Information Secretary Ajiz Dhamrah welcomed the protests over water issues. He said that PPP views the construction of canals on the Indus River as an act of robbery. However, he warned that some elements were trying to turn peaceful protests violent. He called on civil society, intellectuals, and writers in Sindh to come forward, assuring them of PPP’s full support. He announced that PPP would organize protest rallies in Sukkur and Mirpurkhas over the water issue.

Provincial Minister for Energy and Planning & Development Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that the controversial canals are completely unacceptable. He accused IRSA of presenting manipulated data based on fifty-year-old figures to justify issuing the Water Availability Certificate to Punjab, which the Sindh Chief Minister had objected to in his summary. Shah urged the federal government to make correct decisions based on accurate data and public concerns.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will clarify PPP’s stance on the canal issue at a rally in Sukkur on April 25.

Sharjeel Inam Memon stressed that while protest is everyone’s constitutional right, protesters must ensure that road closures do not cause hardships for the public. Peaceful protests should continue without inconveniencing people.

He accused certain non-political and ill-intentioned elements of trying to create mistrust over the issue but asserted that PPP is handling the matter with maturity. He criticized those who were “talking beyond their stature” and said they should avoid making unwarranted statements.

In response to a question, Memon said that while it is easy to make dramatic statements like “goodbye,” PPP believes in resolving matters through understanding to strengthen democratic systems. He emphasized that Sindh would not give up even a single drop of its rightful share of water. He also stressed the need for clear strategies to protect farmers’ produce from spoiling due to protests blocking access to markets.

Memon added that all discussions with Rana Sanaullah are happening with the full approval of the PPP and the Sindh government and welcomed dialogue efforts. In another response, he said that PPP would decide based on the wishes of the poor people of Pakistan. He appealed to protesters to organize their demonstrations in open fields to avoid traffic issues, highlighting the recent by-elections in Umerkot as evidence of strong public support for PPP.

He also said that contacts with the Prime Minister are ongoing regarding the canal issue and expressed hope for a quick resolution. He noted that no one has permission to indefinitely block roads; if someone gets permission for a few hours, they must conclude their protest within the allocated time.

The federal government has to decide soon to revert back to this project; otherwise, the movement that led millions of residents of Sindh to the road will continue.