KARACHI:

The controversial proposal to build six new canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert in Punjab continued to sour relations between two key allies in the coalition government at the centre, with the PPP on Saturday calling for greater clarity and accountability from the federal government.

The PPP had Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal dismiss Sindh’s objections to the canal project as “baseless” and drew attention to the widespread protests in Sindh against the controversial canals, claiming that the people of the province have expressed serious reservations and resentment over projects.

The PPP also questioned the federal government’s failure to convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), the constitutional forum for resolution of inter-provincial disputes, to resolve water-related issues.

PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, who called the federal government’s stance weak, raised serious doubts about the implementation of the 1991 water agreement and questioned the feasibility of the proposed canal projects.

Questioning how Punjab could have surplus water to fill the 4,152 cusec capacity of the Cholistan canals, he said, “If Punjab does not have additional water, where will the supply to these canals come from?”

Khuhro also raised concerns over the redevelopment of the Qadirabad, Sulemanki and Rasul barrages to channelize Jhelum River water into the Cholistan canals. He warned that this plan could necessitate continuous operation of the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad link canals, potentially rendering Sindh’s land barren.

Echoing Sindh’s long-standing apprehensions, the PPP leader stated that the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad link canals designated as flood canals may be operated continuously to divert Sindh’s water into the Cholistan canals.

He demanded an explanation from the federal government regarding these concerns.

Khuhro also accused the federal government of not fully implementing the 1991 water agreement.

“Although the federal government is talking about the provinces’ water allocation under the agreement, the reality is that it is not being implemented in full,” he said, pointing out that water distribution was not done according to clause 2 of the agreement.

He further raised questions about alleged water theft, particularly regarding the installation of pumping machines from Taunsa to Guddu Barrage to siphon off Sindh’s share of the water. He criticized the lack of action on the recommendations of the ministerial committee, headed by Khalid Magsi, which called for measures to curb water theft and improve monitoring of water flows.

Khuhro called for the installation of a telemetry system to ensure transparent water flow monitoring, noting that the federal government is yet to take this step.

He also questioned why the CCI, the constitutional forum for resolution of inter-provincial disputes, has not been convened to resolve these water-related issues.

He accused the federal government of repeatedly violating constitutional provisions and ignoring the legitimate concerns of Sindh. “If water distribution is transparent, why hasn’t the telemetry system been implemented?” he asked.

Echoes of the Kalabagh Dam

Drawing a parallel with the Kalabagh Dam controversy, Khuhro reminded the government of Sindh’s strong opposition to the project during former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s tenure.

He said the federal government had to abandon the Kalabagh dam because of Sindh’s opposition. The same fate awaits these new canal projects, he claimed.

He urged the federal government to listen to the voices of the people of Sindh, respect the resolution of the Sindh Assembly and immediately withdraw the plans for the controversial channels. “The people of Sindh will not allow even a drop of their rightful share of water to be stolen,” he vowed.

Khuhro emphasized that Sindh’s lands are already suffering due to inadequate water supplies, with millions of acres rendered barren. He warned that the proposed channels would worsen the situation. “If Punjab wants to cultivate its uncultivated lands, it should rely on underground water or use reverse osmosis plants to make saline water usable,” he added.

Khuhro called on the federal government to respect the 1991 water agreement, address Sindh’s constitutional objections and immediately withdraw plans for the disputed canal projects to prevent further damage to Sindh’s lands and rights.

In a strongly worded statement, former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani urged the federal government and the minister to respect the provincial autonomy enshrined in the constitution. He stressed that the rights of Sindh as a lower coastal region and the sentiments of its people cannot be ignored.

He noted that the decision to build new canals to draw water from the Indus River for agriculture in Punjab’s Cholistan region was not a decision that could be taken unilaterally by the federal government.

“This issue should have been and should be brought before the Council of Common Interest (CCI) which the Federal Government has failed to convene since the inspection of its current tenure,” the statement said.

“The agriculture sector is the linchpin of the provincial economy, Sindh also contributes approximately 23% of the national value added of the federation; 41% of the national production of rice; 31% of sugarcane and 21% of wheat,” he noted.

He lamented that Sindh has already been deprived of its fair and rightful share in the distribution of water. “The provincial government has written to the federal government to convene a meeting of the CCI, which it continues to avoid.”

“Given the already destabilized political atmosphere, federal political tensions will only add to destabilization, which could be harmful to the system as well as to the federation.”