Karachi Bar Association President Aamir Nawaz Warraich sustained injuries following an attack by six individuals on Tuesday night, allegedly linked to his opposition to the contentious Cholistan canals project.
In March, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the construction of the six new canals on the Indus River. The Karachi Bar Association has also been a vocal critic of the project.
This project aims to transform 4.8 million acres (1.9 million hectares) of barren land into irrigated farmland by constructing six canals—two each in Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab. Of these, five will draw water from the Indus River, while the sixth will utilize the Sutlej River, delivering approximately 4,120 cusecs of water to irrigate Punjab’s Cholistan desert.
In a video statement, Warraich described the attack as a “murderous attempt” by six individuals and reaffirmed his commitment to opposing the canal project, stating, “They’ll have to shut them down.” He announced that a lawyers’ convention scheduled for April 12 would proceed as planned and declared he would not file a first information report regarding the incident.
Moreover, Warraich issued a warning to close the Sindh-Punjab border if the canal project decision was not reversed within 72 hours.
South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza reported that Warraich and other lawyers were at their regular meeting spot, Cafe Bogey on II Chundrigar Road, when the incident occurred.
According to the DIG, no firearms or deadly weapons were involved, and the altercation appeared to be a scuffle resulting in injuries. Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage and gathering eyewitness accounts to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.
