Protests against a proposed canal project from the Indus River have intensified across Sindh, Pakistan, in April 2025, disrupting road transport, judicial operations, and trade. Demonstrators, including lawyers and nationalist groups, demand the project’s cancellation, citing environmental and regional concerns.
In Khairpur, lawyers marked the ninth day of a sit-in at Babarlou Bypass on the National Highway. In Ghotki, two protests persist: one by nationalist groups at Mangrio Pump near Daharki and another by lawyers at the Sindh-Punjab border near Kamo Shaheed. Both groups vow to continue until the government issues a formal cancellation notice, despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assurance that no canal will be built without consensus.
On April 24, 2025, PM Shehbaz met with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Islamabad to address the unrest. At a joint press conference, the premier announced that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) would formalise this commitment at its May 2 meeting. The pledge aims to ease tensions, but protesters remain skeptical and await official documentation.
Federal Govt has deferred its controversial canal construction project under the Green #Pakistan Initiative and summoned a meeting of the Council of Common Interests on May 2 to discuss the matter with all provinces, following sustained protests in #Sindh. https://t.co/stF2gj8aQa
— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) April 26, 2025Judicial and Transport Disruptions
The Sindh Bar Council’s province-wide strike has halted court operations in cities like Hyderabad, Larkana, Nawabshah, and Jacobabad. Courts, including City Court, remained locked on April 25, adjourning hundreds of cases and distressing litigants. Meanwhile, road blockades have stopped goods transport between Sindh and Punjab, stranding over 1,000 textile containers in Faisalabad.
The transport disruptions have crippled Pakistan’s textile sector. Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce officials report that two export vessels were missed, causing raw material shortages and factory slowdowns. The chamber’s president called the situation “grave,” urging PM Shehbaz, Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah to intervene. He warned that prolonged unrest could severely damage Pakistan’s economy.
Read: Sindh Highway Blockade Halts Trade, Threatens Pakistan’s Economy in 2025
The Sindh canal project protests highlight tensions over resource management and regional autonomy. While the government seeks dialogue, the economic and judicial toll underscores the need for swift resolution. As the CCI meeting approaches, all eyes are on whether formal assurances will end the standoff.
