ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Thursday submitted a resolution in the National Assembly against the planned construction of six new canals on the Indus River.
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the ambitious Cholistan project to irrigate south Punjab’s lands on February 15 amid public uproar and strong reservations in Sindh.
The contentious $3.3 billion Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) launched by the federal government to develop six canals to irrigate 1.2 million acres of “barren land” in south Punjab has been strongly opposed by the PPP, which is in power in Sindh, as well as farmers and other stakeholders.
Today, PTI lawmakers — including its NA parliamentary leader Zartaj Gul, Ali Muhammad Khan and Mohammad Ahmed Chattha — submitted a resolution to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq against the canals project.
The resolution, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, demanded that the “construction of the Cholistan canal projects” should be suspended immediately until the Council of Common Interest (CCI) approves it.
The PPP has repeatedly called for a meeting of the CCI — empowered to decide, formulate and regulate policies concerning interprovincial and centre-province matters — to be convened.
The resolution said the CCI’s approval for the project was needed to “safeguard inter-provincial harmony and compliance with constitutional norms”.
Citing Article 154 of the Constitution (CCI’s functions and rules of procedure), the PTI called on the government to convene an emergency meeting of the council within 15 days to deliberate and resolve Sindh’s reservations concerning the project under the GPI, “ensuring all provincial stakeholders are heard”.
The resolution also demanded an independent audit of the Indus River System Authority’s (Irsa) water availability certificate issued for the Cholistan canals.
It said the audit should be conducted by a “neutral panel of hydrologists and environmental experts within 60 days, with findings tabled before this House to verify compliance with the Water Apportionment Accord 1991, and assess impacts on Sindh’s water share”.
On Monday, the Sindh High Court restrained Irsa and others from taking any further action on the planned construction of the canals, based on the issue of an improper appointment to the authority.
“A moratorium shall be imposed on all new canal projects on the Indus River system until the Water Apportionment Accord 1991, is fully enforced, ensuring that Sindh’s allocated share of 48.76 million acre-feet (MAF) and the lower riparian rights of downstream provinces are protected, including a minimum environmental flow of 10 MAF below Kotri Barrage to sustain the Indus Delta,” the resolution read.
It further asserted that the federal government and provincial authorities “shall ensure mandatory, transparent consultations with downstream stakeholders” — including Sindh’s elected representatives, farmers, and civil society — with public hearings documented and accessible before any CCI decision.
The PTI’s resolution highlighted that Sindh relies on the Indus River as a “vital source of water for agriculture, domestic use, and ecological sustainability”.
It noted that the canals’ construction in Punjab, including the Cholistan Canal projects initiated under the GPI, had “raised significant concerns in Sindh regarding potential reductions in its water share and downstream environmental impacts”.
The PTI highlighted that Articles 153 (CCI), 154 (functions and rules) and 155 (complaints as to interference with water supplies) of the Constitution mandate “equitable distribution of natural resources among federating units and vests” the CCI with the authority to resolve inter-provincial disputes over water.
“Sindh’s reservations, formally lodged with the CCI in July 2024, highlight the need for transparency, scientific assessment, and inter-provincial consensus prior to such projects,” it stated.
Earlier this month, the PTI, along with the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), staged a sit-in and rally against the planned canals, claiming the project would greatly hinder water supply to Karachi.
PPP ‘protests’ in NA after resolution omitted from agenda
Meanwhile, PPP lawmakers recorded their protest in the NA today over a purported resolution against the six canals project not being included in the NA agenda, the party’s central spokesperson Shazia Marri said.
Marri, in a statement posted by her party on X, claimed that the PPP had submitted a resolution opposing the canals in the lower house of the parliament on April 7 but did not receive support from either the PML-N or the MQM-P — its allies in the ruling coalition.
“Despite the response of the PML-N in the House, the PPP is continuously demanding the approval of a resolution against the construction of canals on the Indus River,” Marri asserted, adding that the PTI “caused a ruckus” during today’s proceedings.
The MNA further said the PPP held Punjab ministers responsible for “provocative and divisive” statements on the issue, whilst chastising the PTI for disrupting the session.
“It was very upsetting to see the PTI’s irresponsible attitude on display during the debate on the canals,” Marri was quoted as saying. “The fact is, two of these canals were approved by [then-premier] Imran Niazi [Khan] during the PTI’s tenure, which Sindh was strongly against,” she claimed.
Marri added that if the PTI wanted to make amends for this past “error”, then they should support her party’s resolution.
“We have to stand together against the canal project, as it is a matter of life and death,” the party spokesperson added. “Water should be distributed across the country according to the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord.”
Asserting that the PPP has always fought for fair water distribution, Marri reiterated PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari’s stances on the issue, noting that both figures called the project “unilateral”.
The NA session will resume at 11am tomorrow, a statement on its X account said.
The PPP-led Sindh government had opposed a planning body’s approval for the Cholistan canal in October 2024, but faced criticism by nationalist parties over its alleged complicity in the project.
In response, the PPP last month staged province-wide rallies to protest the scheme and the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution against it.
