The Lawyers Action Committee announced the end of its 14-day protest at Babarloi Bypass in Khairpur Mir's after successful talks with Sindh government representatives at the District Bar Association Sukkur. This decision follows the earlier conclusion of protests at Kamoon Shaheed and Kashmore More after the CCI Council of Common Interest headed by Prime Minister Mian Shahebaz Sharif, announced the shelving of the six canals scheme.
The representatives of the Lawyers Action Committee held two separate media talks; the first one was held in the early hours of Tuesday after a four-hour sitting of the committee.
After that meeting, the President of Sindh High Court Bar Association Sarfaraz Metlo, President Karachi Bar Association Amir Nawaz Waraich, President Hyderabad Bar Association Ashar Majeed, General Secretary of Karachi Bar Association Raheman Korai, among others, addressed the press conference and facilitated the people of Sindh upon the suspension of the canal scheme and elimination of certificates issued by IRSA regarding the availability of water in abundance.
They also acknowledged the role of their fellow lawyers who continued to struggle in their respective bar associations by boycotting court proceedings and holding processions to express solidarity. "The role of the Pakistan People’s Party should not be undermined," mentioned Sarfaraz Metlo, adding that they would continue their struggle for the rights of the people of Sindh.
Later in the evening, a detailed meeting was held between representatives of the legal fraternity, including Ayaz Tunio, Amir Nawaz Waraich, Sarfaraz Metlo, among others, and the representative of the Sindh Government led by Provincial Home Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar.
As soon as the Lawyers Action Committee decided to sit with representatives of the provincial government, former President of District Bar Hyderabad Khuda Bux Laghari and President of the District Bar Association reportedly left the meeting halfway and refused to hold talks with the ruling party members.
Following his walkout, Khuda Bux aka K.B. Laghari accused the Pakistan Peoples Party of sabotaging the historic lawyers' movement and trying to deceive Amir Nawaz Waraich. He further said that he would not bargain over the rights of the people of Sindh. After the meeting on Tuesday evening, lawyers came out with satisfactory remarks and announced that they were ending the protest following the assurance held by the provincial government.
Waraich said that the Provincial government would withdraw cases registered against lawyers across Sindh following the anti-six canals movement. He further said that the Sindh government had ensured that it would cancel the allotment of land given in aid of corporate farming within 15 days, and in case of failure, the Lawyers Action Committee would go with the option of laying siege to the Chief Minister's house in Karachi.
The lawyers announced to celebrate Jashn-e-Sindh every year at Babarloi on 17th April and asked bar councils to celebrate the historic moment. The general public turned emotional when Amir Nawaz and his team left for their destinations, bidding goodbye to Babarloi where they struggled for Sindh's riparian rights. Lawyers refused to take any credit and called it a combined victory of Sindh.
Lanjar-Khuda Bux Controversy
The statement of Home Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar regarding former Hyderabad District Bar President drew widespread condemnation on social media, with members of the District Bar Association Hyderabad asking Lanjar to publicly apologize to K.B. Laghari, who was among the key members of the recent movement. Lanjar said that Khuda Bux was not a stakeholder, having recently lost the election of the High Court Bar Hyderabad. Meanwhile, several lawyers took to social media to write in favor of Laghari.
Massive Public Response
A large gathering of people, including members of the Sujawal District Bar Association, civil society representatives, and trade union members, welcomed President Sajjad Ali Khowaja, General Secretary Aftab Husnia Panhwar, Advocate Yasir Bhan, and others who represented DBA Sujawal at the historic 14-day Babarlo protest. The protest culminated in the suspension of the six canals scheme and an assurance from the Sindh government to tackle corporate farming.
Sajjad Ali Khowaja and Aftab Husnian Panhwar joined the convoy of lawyers in Thatta and remained part of it until the aim was achieved. Addressing a media conference at the DBA hall in Sujawal, Khowaja said, "Lawyers have become a symbol of courage and struggle across Sindh." He added that the legal fraternity would continue to struggle for the legitimate rights of the people of Sindh and expressed satisfaction over the decision of the Council of Common Interest to shelve the controversial scheme.
Aftab H. Panhwar, General Secretary of DBA Sujawal, said the determination of the legal fraternity had brought success to the people of Sindh. He claimed that the people of Sindh had a sentimental affiliation with the Indus River, and their reaction against the six-canal scheme was natural. "The issue of corporate farming shall be resolved soon," he added.
Former President of the District Bar Association Liaquat Jamari credited the legal fraternity for inducing a wave of change across the province, saying that the people of Sindh should capitalize on the struggle of lawyers. Advocate Ayaz Ali urged youth to work for societal uplift, stating, "This is the beginning of a new era."