Protest rallies and demonstrations have racked the interior Sindh causing severe setback to already fragile economy of the province. The main cause of protests is possible revival of Kalabagh dam project and construction of 'Greater Thal Canal', but it has been outstretched throughout the province following Sindh Chief Minister's decision to divide six districts which resulted in fatal incident in Larkana district, removal of district Nazims on the pretext that they had lost the confidence of the people, growing lawlessness in upper Sindh where people are virtually living under the lurking fear of being kidnapped for ransom.

The bandit are rule the highways after sunset, forcing the people to complete their work before dusk.

Price hike is another factor following the unprecedented increase in the prices of petroleum products, sugar, wheat and wheat flour and other agriculture products. Corruption and financial mismanagement in nation building department particularly in food and agriculture is yet another cause of the unrest among the population of the province having lowest per capita income.

Not only the recognised political parties but regional political groups also are out to make political gain out of the situation at a time when local body polls are around the corner.

This may be judged by the fact that Mumtaz Bhutto, who remained in low key all these years, is out and had organised three public meetings in upper Sindh protesting against the Kalabagh project, lawlessness and price hike and later called a meeting of his tribe.

Similarly, national Sindhi leaders are orchestrating with full volume against the major water projects terming them as hegemony of Punjab over the smaller federating units.

The President's remarks during his recent tour of Sindh that Sindh had used water share of NWFP and Balochistan had also irked the farming community who are facing huge production losses for the last four years due to shortage of water. The Sindh Abadgar Boardin its meeting criticised the President's statement, and demanded that an inquiry should be ordered into the matter to correct the record. The meeting also posed a question as to why the ministerial committee's decision had been given preference over the 1991 Water Accord despite the fact that it had been termed illegal by President himself and the federal law ministry.

The meeting demanded compensation for official recorded losses suffered by Sindh to the tune of Rs 98.4 billion from 2000-01 till the current Rabi crop on account of violation of the water agreement.

The meeting also expressed concern over the fast deteriorating law and order situation in the province following the failure of provincial government to enforce its writ. "When it cannot protect the lives and honour of the people it has no right to recover taxes," it said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005