SUJAWAL: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh has said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has always struck deals over Sindh’s rightful share in the water of Indus River and claimed that the Irsa Amendment Bill had earlier been sent to President Dr Arif Alvi during PTI’s tenure but he rejected it to safeguard Sindh’s resources.

Sheikh said at gatherings of party workers in Dhabeji, Gharo, Thatta, Sultanabad, Sujawal, Golarchi, Badin, Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammad Khan, which he visited as part of the party’s campaign “Save Indus River Save Sindh” against diversion of water from the Indus, that what Dr Alvi did not do, PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari did [without hesitating], paving the way for the approval of construction of six new canals on the Indus.

He said that entire nation was facing injustice and Imran Khan firmly stood for the rights of people of Sindh. PPP, which had been in power in Sindh for the past 17 years, had obtained power by selling off the province’s resources, he said.

Sheikh accused PPP of deceiving public with crocodile tears while continuing with policies that harmed Sindh’s rights. “PPP has destroyed Sindh’s education system with over six million children out of school and government schools lacking basic resources like books,” he said.

He said that people were deprived of basic healthcare. PPP had sold off government land and devastated Sindh’s forests. Now, the party was plotting to render the province barren by trading away its water, he said.

Sheikh declared that PTI would not allow injustice with people of Sindh. “PPP has made life unbearable for people but they are now awakening to their rights. Alongside us in this struggle are Pir Pagara, Syed Zain Shah, Ayaz Latif Palijo, and many others and it is now up to public to decide whether to stand by us or those who have sold out Sindh,” he remarked.

On the issue of political victimisation, Sheikh slammed PPP for unleashing politics of revenge against PTI and leaders of rand Democratic Alliance by filing false cases against them.

He reiterated that Imran Khan was being punished for fighting for the rights of people and without his release, political stability was impossible in the country. The PTI’s mandate had been stolen and the country was being run by those who had wasted over Rs5,000 billion in various sectors, he said.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2025