Protester killed, others injured as police resorts to baton charge to disperse canals protest in Sindh’s Moro

A protest against the construction of proposed canals over the Indus River in Moro, Sindh, turned violent after police used baton charges and gunfire to disperse demonstrators, Dawn newspaper reported. One protester was killed, and several others, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured. Following the death, protesters set two trailers and parts of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar’s house on fire, also torching motorcycles. Traffic on the Moro bypass remained suspended.

Senior police officials arrived to restore order. PPP condemned the violence but noted that protests are allowed, condemning the attack on a political opponent’s house. The Sindh home minister called for a detailed report and vowed to uphold law and order.

The protests relate to the controversial Cholistan irrigation project inaugurated in February 2025 amid opposition from Sindh. Despite the government halting the project last month amid tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty with India, protests and legal sit-ins continue demanding its permanent cancellation.