Nationalist leaders in Hyderabad have expressed strong opposition to the federal government’s initiative to allocate 52,000 acres of land for corporate farming in Umerkot district.
During a meeting of the Sindh Rehbar Committee, chaired by Aslam Khairpuri on Sunday, Jan 4, participants labeled this move as a conspiracy aimed at seizing Sindh’s land under the Green Pakistan Initiative. They argue that this plan not only threatens local resources but also highlights the complicity of the Sindh government, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), in undermining the rights of local farmers.
The committee members emphasized that even if the land is uncultivated and government-owned, it should be allocated to impoverished local peasants rather than private corporations. They lamented that in the guise of progress, vital natural resources—such as land, water, and heritage sites—are being appropriated from Sindh’s populace.
Key figures at the meeting included leaders from various nationalist parties, such as Riaz Ali Chandio from Jeay Sindh Mahaz and Nawaz Khan Zaunr from Jeay Sindh Qaumi Party, who vowed to initiate a peaceful political struggle against this corporatization of land.
Additionally, Ayaz Latif Palijo, leader of the Qomi Awami Tehreek, led a rally protesting the construction of six new canals on the Indus River. This protest is part of a broader campaign against perceived injustices regarding water distribution and land use in Sindh.
The nationalist leaders are calling for a halt to corporate farming initiatives and for land to be given back to local farmers instead.