Pakistan govt told not to ‘play with fire’ on Indus river water issue

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government’s plan to divert water from the Indus river for corporate farming sparked heated debate in the Senate on Tuesday, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle urging the matter to be resolved at the Council of Common Interests (CCI), Dawn reported.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) vice-president and Senate parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman criticised the proposal to construct six new canals without consulting relevant stakeholders. Speaking on an adjournment motion, she wondered why the government was tight-lipped over controversial projects.

“If the caretakers could not understand the meaning of green Pakistan, at least we should understand it”, she said, demanding assurance that “half of Pakistan will not be made water-deficient for corporate farming”.

She asked the government to share with Sindh if there were any compulsions. “Let’s be very clear. This has to be sorted out. There are constitutional forums to sort this out”, she remarked and regretted that the CCI had not met for 11 months.

Senator Sherry Rehman strongly opposes the government’s plan to extract water from the Indus River for new canals. “This project will turn Sindh’s fertile lands into deserts,” she warns as water scarcity already affects various districts in the province. #SindhWaterCrisis pic.twitter.com/pWohtDA0Sw

— SherryRehman’sTeam (@SRehmanOffice) January 21, 2025

Rehman stated that the PPP considers this move by the federal government to be a violation of Sindh’s rights, pointing out that the province was already the most affected due to the “incompetence” of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA).

She argued that irrigating barren land in Cholistan could lead to the desertification of Sindh’s fertile lands, jeopardising agricultural productivity and livelihoods. Rehman estimated that the project could displace 20 million people by creating widespread unemployment.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Syed Shibli Faraz, said he was at a loss to understand why the PPP leader was complaining, as her party was part of the ruling coalition. “You are a major ally of the government. You even spearheaded the constitutional amendment package. It is your right to be heard”, he remarked.

Noting that the CCI was the forum to resolve inter-provincial matters, he lamented that the council had not been institutionalised and even its much-promised secretariat was yet to be established.

Senator Kamran Murtaza, parliamentary leader of JUI-F in the Senate, argued that there would be no objection to anyone if surplus water was available, pointing out that water distribution under the 1991 Water Accord already faces shortages.

PPP Senator Jam Saifullah Khan said the issue of six new canals would be taken to the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench if the Council of Common Interests did not take up this issue. “The federation has four provinces, and any unilateral decision to build canals would have serious repercussions,” he warned.

He further added, “If some forces are interested in this matter, they should be made to understand that don’t play with fire,” making it clear that the construction work on these canals should be stopped immediately, reported Dawn.

PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui referred to the 1991 Water Accord, asserting that provinces are entitled to use their allocated water share. He argued that Punjab’s construction of canals using its share is permissible under the accord.

Senator Ali Zafar, parliamentary leader of PTI, supported Sherry Rehman’s concerns, emphasising that water scarcity was a national issue exacerbated by inefficient irrigation systems, climate change, and overpopulation.

Minister for Water Resources Musadik Malik dismissed the opposition’s claims, stating that no dam, barrage or link canal is being constructed on the Indus River. He mentioned that the Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu dams were being constructed on the river, with the latter’s construction approved in 2009-10 when PPP was in power. “The adjournment motion did not stand its ground as all claims made are factually incorrect”, he said.

He clarified that the Cholistan Canal is being built on the Sutlej River, sourcing water from the Sulemanki Barrage in Punjab, using Punjab’s allocated water share under the 1991 accord, Dawn reported. “The perception that Sindh is being deprived of its due water share is incorrect”, Malik said.

He also announced that a CCI meeting would be convened soon. However, Rehman requested that the matter be referred to the relevant committee for further clarity, with officials from Sindh and Balochistan present. She also demanded a specific date for the delayed CCI meeting. (ANI)