Protests from lawyers and civil society activists against the proposed construction of six channels from the Indus River have entered their 10th day in a row, which has caused a complete stop to the traffic between Sindh and Punjab along the National Highway.

The sit-in demonstrations, which have grown in size and momentum, have disturbed the transport of significant goods such as gasoline and food supply with trucks and trailers stranded for days. Heavy container drivers reported that their vehicles are worsening due to the long -term standstill.

Protesters insist that they will continue their blockade until an official notification confirming the cancellation of the project has been issued, despite insurance by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that no channel will be built without consensus through the Council for Common Interest (CCI).

After high-level negotiations between PM Shehbaz and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Premier announced that the CCI meeting scheduled for May 2rd would formally join the agreement to suspend the Canal projects unless agreement is reached.

Demonstrations have been staged in several places along the National Highway, including near the mangio pump in Dahari, Ghotki, now entering their eighth day.

Separate protests, such as lawyers sit-in on Kamoon Shaheed, have also added the mounting transport disorder.

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called on the protesters anti-channels to remove the blocks of the roads they have hindered when the cancellation of the channel project was announced.

Shah also claimed that “those who push the channel project will have OPP out of power to move it forward” and noted that there are two groups of anti-channel protesters; Those who really are against the project when it goes against provincial interests, and those who try to use the situation for political gain by violating PPP’s public mandate, which blocks roads and hinders daily activities.