Lack of quorum compelled Deputy Speaker to adjourn NA session
Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday submitted a resolution to the National Assembly opposing the construction of new canals from the Indus River under the Green Pakistan Initiative, citing serious concerns from Sindh.
The resolution was submitted by Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan and signed by party leaders Zartaj Gul, Ali Muhammad Khan, and Mujahid Khan.
The resolution demanded an immediate suspension of the Cholistan canals project until the concerns raised by Sindh are addressed through constitutional mechanisms.
The party called for an emergency meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) within 15 days to ensure inclusive consultation among provinces.
PTI also demanded a neutral audit of the Indus River System Authority’s (Irsa) water availability certification, to be completed within 60 days.
The PTI insists that the water distribution outlined in the 1991 Water Accord must be enforced before launching any new canal project, especially ensuring Sindh’s share of 48.76 million acre-feet and preserving the Indus Delta’s ecological balance.
The resolution also urged public hearings and transparent decision-making with active input from Sindh’s representatives, civil society, and affected communities.
The canal project, inaugurated in February, has triggered tensions between Sindh and Punjab.
The Sindh Assembly passed a unanimous resolution against the initiative in March.
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.
The resolution 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 inter-provincial 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”.
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”.
“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.
It concludes by stating that the resolution should be forwarded to the federal government, the CCI, and other relevant bodies for urgent action.
