ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday strongly criticised the federal government’s controversial Cholistan canal project under the “Green Pakistan Initiative” – a move the party insisted could deprive Sindh of its lifeblood: water from the Indus River.
In a resolution submitted to the National Assembly Secretariat, the PTI denounced what it termed a blatant bid to legitimise Punjab’s alleged covert water appropriation. The party accused the government of sidelining constitutional norms and brushing aside Sindh’s urgent concerns.
The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, along with PTI leaders Zartaj Gul, Ali Muhammad Khan, and other senior leaders, accused the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of playing a “double game” – pretending to be Sindh’s saviour while turning a blind eye to a plan that could devastate the province’s agricultural heartland and fragile delta ecosystem.
Sharjeel reiterates party’s stance against canal project
The controversial Cholistan canal project, quietly cleared through Central Development Working Party (CDWP) last year in October, has come under sharp criticism for allegedly violating the Constitution.
In its resolution, the PTI denounced the move as a blatant breach of Articles 154 and 155 of the Constitution, calling for the immediate suspension of the project pending a formal review by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
The PTI, demanding a meeting of CCI within 15 days, urged an immediate moratorium on all new canal projects on the Indus River, and demanded an independent audit of water availability figures provided by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), which it accused of lacking neutrality.
At the centre of the dispute is the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord, which PTI claimed has been conveniently sidelined.
Under the agreement, Sindh is entitled to 48.76 million acre-feet of water annually, along with an additional 10 million acre-feet in environmental flows considered vital to prevent the Indus Delta from collapsing into an ecological disaster.
“This isn’t development. It’s plunder in the name of development, and the PPP is bent upon doing it,” alleged Zartaj Gul Wazir. “And the PPP, which claims to be the saviour of Sindh, is letting it happen right under its nose, which is shameful.”
The resolution called for greater transparency and to take on board Sindh’s civil society, elected representatives, and nationalist political parties in any future decision-making.
It demanded that public hearings be held and made accessible to all, warning against any more behind-the-scenes talks.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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