Pakistan Violence:A protest against the controversial Cholistan Canals project spiralled into violence on May 20, 2025, as an angry mob torched vehicles and stormed the residence of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar in Moro, Naushahro Feroze district.
The chaos left at least two protestors dead, multiple people injured, including police officers, and widespread property damage in its wake.
The unrest began when demonstrators, reportedly mobilised by a Sindhi nationalist organisation, attempted to stage a sit-in on the National Highway to protest the federal government’s six-canal project on the Indus River. The project, intended to irrigate the Cholistan desert, has been opposed by the Sindh government and nationalist groups, who view it as a threat to the province’s water rights and agricultural interests.
Police attempted to disperse the protesters using baton charges and aerial firing. Clashes quickly escalated, resulting in the death of protester Zahid Leghari and injuries to at least eight others. Among the injured were Irfan Leghari, Mohsin, Vishal Leghari, and Mir Hazar Korai. They were initially taken to Moro Hospital, and later shifted to Nawabshah due to critical conditions.
Home Minister’s House Set Ablaze
Amid the chaos, protesters stormed and set fire to Lanjar’s house in Moro. Videos circulating on social media showed individuals carrying rifles and opening fire. The mob vandalised the property, torched household items, and burned two cargo trailers parked outside. The footage sparked widespread outrage online.
Mobs attacked trucks on the National Highway, looted goods, and set fire to three vehicles, including an oil tanker. Eyewitnesses reported that another group detained and beat three police officers, including DSP Fayyaz Dahri, before releasing them, according to local media reports. Tensions intensified as the crowd pelted the Moro police station with stones.
Government Response
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar condemned the violence and ordered a full investigation. Reinforcements from Nawabshah, Dadu, and Hyderabad were deployed to help local police restore order. Sindh Government spokesperson Aqraba Fatima called the attack “tantamount to challenging the state’s writ” and warned that the government “will not remain a silent spectator.”