The provincial assembly of Sindh did something unthinkable on March 13 as it unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the construction of six new canals on the Indus river. Among these six canals, the most controversial has been the Cholistan Canal which is openly backed by Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir.
The resolution passed by the assembly called these canals as “illegal and a violation of the 1991 Water Accord’’. This is a direct challenge which posed serious challenges for General Munir as he is likely to face a significant loss of face due to this in the coming days.
The genesis of this resolution lies in President Asif Zardari’s statement terming the canals as “unilateral decision’’ of the Federal government (read Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif) which he could not endorse as President. Zardari’s address to a joint session of Parliament had sent Sharif scurrying for cover and he hosted a delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a couple of hours later. At this iftaar meeting, Sharif assured Bilawal and his companions that their concerns on the canals will be addressed soon.
About a month ago, on February 15, Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz and General Munir had inaugurated the ambitious Cholistan canal with much fanfare in a public event. They had then spoken very highly about its potential benefits, much to the chagrin of Sindhis, as all objections by them were dismissed out of hand, according to a report in Dawn.
Sindh’s objections to canals
The Sindh government had sent summaries listing its objections to these proposed canals to Council of Common Interests (CCI) in 2023, as also in 2024. Instead of CCI taking the issue on urgent basis, and giving any decision, Maryam decided to slam it down Sindh’s throat. Incidentally, CCI is an important forum, formed to resolve differences between different provinces of Pakistan. It has the exclusive and sole jurisdiction to decide any water disputes arising between the provinces.
What the resolution of the Sindh assembly has done effectively is that now the governments of Punjab province and that of Sindh are ranged against one another officially. It needs to be mentioned here that Punjab is led by a government of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and that of Sindh is led by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) helmed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The Sindh assembly resolution urged the Federal government and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to halt any plans or activities related to these projects immediately. It said that until all provinces, particularly Sindh, are consulted on the issue and it is ensure their water rights are protected, no work on the canals should be carried out.
“This House demands an immediate halt to any plans, activities, or work related to the construction of the Cholistan Canal and other canals on the Indus River System,” the resolution stated. It also called for a dialogue between provincial stakeholders to ensure inter-provincial water justice.
Sindh CM Shah statement
Acting in line with the stance adopted by top leadership of his party, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has asserted that his province Sindh had historical rights of use of the Indus waters. He also warned against diverting its waters without the consent of Sindh as that will lead to serious spat with the Punjab government, or anyone backing the canals, he said.
“Sindh’s people have a rightful claim over these rivers,” he said, stressing that water cannot be taken without the agreement of those who have relied on it for centuries. He criticised the diversion of water from Punjab’s fertile lands to Cholistan, arguing that it would have severe consequences for both provinces. “Will Punjab allow its most productive regions, like Chaj Doab and Rachna Doab, to dry up just to irrigate a desert?” he questioned.
Incidentally, Cholistan is an unirrigated area so far and dozens of Pakistan’s Army have been allotted huge chunks of land here. As such, the Pakistan Army, including its present chief General Munir has an interest in its development. In fact, Cholistan canal is a project which has been touted by the Pakistan Army as a panacea that will address grain and vegetable production.
Like its presence in all sectors, the Pakistan Army has decided to acquire about 1 million acre of land in Cholistan and turn it into an oasis! However, it can be irrigated only by diverting the Indus waters, which obviously will hit downstream Sindh province.
In his long statement of explanation, Sindh CM Shah also cited previous agreements, including the Sindh-Punjab Water Accord of 1945, which allocated a fixed share to Punjab while ensuring excess water flowed to Sindh. The 1945 accord refers to an agreement that was imposed by the British and signed by Chief Engineers of both the provinces. Under it, broadly, Punjab was forbidden to divert Indus waters by building dams or through construction of canals.
This formula worked out by the British worked well for many years satisfactorily, till at least 1970. After that, the Federal government started allocating more waters to Punjab province and this was interpreted in Sindh as favouring the former. After two decades, the water allocation between the two provinces was done under a formula called 1991 accord. However lower riparian Sindh has time and again protested that even this accord has been repeatedly violated by Punjab.
With growing concerns over water scarcity, CM Shah urged all stakeholders to adhere to historic agreements and ensure fair distribution to safeguard Sindh’s water resources.
