PTI moves resolution against Indus canals project in NA

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has submitted a resolution to the National Assembly Secretariat, raising concerns regarding the construction of canals from the Indus River under the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI).

Led by Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan and backed by parliamentary leaders Zartaj Gul, Ali Muhammad Khan, Mujahid Khan, and other party members, the resolution demands an immediate halt to the Cholistan canals project until constitutional provisions are observed and concerns from Sindh are addressed.

The document, "Resolution on Addressing Sindh's Reservations Regarding the Green Pakistan Initiative of Constructing Canals on the Indus River", calls for an emergency meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) within 15 days.

The meeting, it says, should discuss the province of Sindh's objections and ensure input from all stakeholders.

The resolution highlights that Punjab's canal projects, approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in October 2024 under the GPI, could significantly impact Sindh's water share, agriculture, and ecological system.

It demands that the construction of the Cholistan canals be suspended until the CCI grants formal approval, in line with Articles 154 and 155 of the Constitution.

Sindh's share must be protected

The Imran Khan-founded party has called for a moratorium on all new canal projects on the Indus River until the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 was fully enforced.

This includes securing Sindh's allocated 48.76 million acre-feet (MAF) of water and maintaining an environmental flow of 10 MAF below the Kotri Barrage to preserve the Indus Delta.

The resolution further urges that an independent audit of the Indus River System Authority's (Irsa) water availability certificate be conducted within 60 days by a neutral panel of hydrologists and environmental experts.

The findings should be submitted before the National Assembly to assess compliance with the 1991 accord and gauge the environmental impact on Sindh.

Resolution demands transparency

The PTI has demanded that all decisions on the project be made through a transparent process involving Sindh's elected representatives, civil society, and downstream stakeholders.

The resolution calls for public hearings to be documented and made accessible before the CCI makes any decision.

It concludes by stating that the resolution should be forwarded to the federal government, the CCI, and other relevant bodies for urgent action.

In a protest in Karachi this Sunday, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and PTI, the opposition, warned that it would hinder Karachi's water supply, the biggest city of the country and Sindh's capital.

In March, the Sindh Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution against the project — inaugurated on February 15.

Meanwhile, the war of words between the Punjab and Sindh governments has intensified over the controversial Cholistan canal project, which has emerged as a key point of contention between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) recently.