NisarKhuhro, President of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh, has made it clear that the federal government has assured there will be no amendments to the IRSA (Indus River System Authority) Act. As a result, any protests by the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) hold no value. He expressed these views while speaking to the media at the Sindh Assembly on Thursday.
PPP Sindh’s Information Secretary, AajizDhamrah, was also present on the occasion. Khuhro stated that the Sindh government has made its stance clear by passing a unanimous resolution in the Sindh Assembly, rejecting any amendments to the IRSA Act. “Sindh will not tolerate any theft of its water rights,” Khuhro asserted. He pointed out that after the unanimous resolution against amendments to the IRSA Act, certain parties like the GDA are now waking up, even though the issue has already been resolved.
“Their protests at this stage serve no purpose,” he said. Khuhro emphasized that water is a provincial matter, and no amendments to the IRSA Act can be made without the approval of the provinces. “The federal government cannot amend the IRSA Act without the provinces’ consent, as water management falls under the jurisdiction of both IRSA and the Council of Common Interests (CCI).” He reminded that when the caretaker government appointed the IRSA Chairman, Sindh strongly opposed the decision, forcing the federal government to withdraw its appointment. “Similarly, the federal government cannot amend the IRSA Act, especially after the Sindh Assembly’s resolution rejecting such amendments.
The federal government has reassured us that no changes are being made to the Act,” Khuhro confirmed. Regarding a question about new canals being built to irrigate millions of acres of land in Punjab under the Green Initiative Pakistan, Khuhro questioned the source of water for such a project. “If new canals are being dug to irrigate Punjab’s lands, where will the water come from?” he asked. Khuhro also accused the federal government of stealing Sindh’s water by installing pumping machines between Taunsa Barrage and Guddu Barrage. “When Sindh’s water is being stolen, where will the water for Punjab come from?” he questioned, demanding an explanation.
He categorically stated that Sindh will not accept any link canals on the Indus River. “Sindh will not allow anyone to rob it of its water rights,” Khuhro stressed, adding that Sindh, being at the tail-end of the river, has the first claim to water. “Water should be provided to Sindh as per the 1991 water accord.” Khuhro also raised the issue of no clear answers being given regarding the amount of water flowing downstream from Kotri Barrage. He called for transparency on this issue as well.
On the topic of constitutional amendments, Khuhro said the establishment of a constitutional court was part of the Charter of Democracy and the PPP manifesto. “Setting up a constitutional court will help ease the burden of cases on the Supreme Court,” he said. He explained that the creation of a constitutional court would not diminish the Supreme Court’s authority.
“The Supreme Court is burdened with millions of pending cases, and the establishment of a constitutional court will reduce this pressure by handling constitutional matters.” Regarding the appointment of the Chief Justice, Khuhro clarified, “There is no issue of favoritism in this matter. The judiciary is independent, and whoever is Chief Justice will be viewed as an independent judge.”
Khuhro further added that constitutional amendments cannot be made without a two-thirds majority. “This is why Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, MaulanaFazlurRehman, and other political leaders are holding talks
