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March 7, 2025 – The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has raised concerns over the First Information Report (FIR) registered by Jamshoro police against nearly 100 students of Sindh University (SU) following a clash with police officers on Tuesday, March 4. The students were protesting against the controversial Cholistan canal project and other water channels designed to irrigate millions of acres of land in Punjab using Indus water.
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According to reports, the Jamshoro police used baton charges and fired teargas shells to disperse the students who were protesting the federal government’s canal plan. The FIR, filed the following day, includes 37 student activists from nationalist student groups. Many of those named in the FIR were detained shortly after the complaint was lodged by Superintendent Saleem Panhwar. However, following negotiations between Jamshoro SSP Zafar Siddique and senior political and nationalist leaders, the students were released.
On Friday, the HRCP expressed its concern over the FIR, criticising the use of “disproportionate force” against the protesters and emphasising the right to peaceful assembly. The human rights organisation stated: “We remind the Sindh government that under international best practices, nonviolent assemblies that obstruct public roads should not be dispersed with force solely on the basis of the disruption they cause.”
The HRCP also called for the withdrawal of the FIR and the immediate release of those still in custody.
Background of the Clash
The March 4 protest at Sindh University was organised by nationalist groups, including Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), to commemorate the Sindhi students who participated in the movement against ‘One Unit’ in 1967. The event included a march from the SU campus to a section of the Indus Highway. As the marchers approached the highway, a strong police presence tried to block their path. The ensuing clash led to the police using teargas and baton charges to disperse the students. In retaliation, protesters threw stones at the police, injuring some officers and damaging at least two police vehicles.
The controversial canals plan, which was the focus of the protest, has sparked widespread opposition in Sindh, with critics arguing that the project, along with corporate farming initiatives, threatens the province’s water rights and agricultural interests. The FIR claims the protesters illegally blocked the Indus Highway, causing disruptions to traffic. It also stated that police were attacked by protesters, leading to injuries to two officers, Constables Farhan Loond and Sadaqat Ali, who were treated at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS).
Despite attempts to arrest more protesters, the police struggled to make additional arrests due to the presence of a large number of demonstrators. Traffic was eventually restored after the crowd dispersed.
Political Reactions
Student leaders, including Zubair Hussain Panhwar and Zahid Keerio, have condemned the FIR, labelling it a politically motivated and false case. They vowed to continue their protests against the canal project. Syed Zain Shah, President of the Sindh United Party (SUP), has called for the immediate quashing of the FIR and demanded action against the police officers involved in using force against peaceful protesters.
Shah further warned that public backlash would be severe if the demands were not addressed. “The FIR should be quashed, and those responsible for the baton-charge and teargas use must be held accountable,” he stated.
As tensions rise in Sindh over water rights and the controversial canal projects, the HRCP and political leaders continue to demand accountability and respect for the right to peaceful protest.
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