The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has strongly opposed the federal government’s proposed six canals project, calling it “illegal” and a threat to Sindh’s water rights.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi on Friday, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro announced a protest movement against the project. He stated that the party would hold demonstrations across all district headquarters on March 25 (Tuesday) to express their opposition. “The project is illegal and should not be built. We will protest in every street against it,” he declared.
The federal government plans to construct six canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert. The project, estimated to cost Rs211.4 billion, aims to bring 400,000 acres of barren land under cultivation. However, PPP, along with Sindh’s nationalist parties, has rejected it, arguing that it disregards the province’s water rights.
Protests have erupted across Sindh, with various political and religious parties, nationalist groups, and civil society organizations rallying against the project. President Asif Ali Zardari has also raised concerns, warning that unilateral decisions by the government are creating tensions within the federation.
“I, as your President, cannot support this proposal,” Zardari asserted, urging the government to abandon the current plan and work towards a consensus-based solution with all stakeholders. He criticized the decision to divert more water from the Indus River System despite strong opposition from federating units.
During the press conference, Khuhro accused the federal government of reviving dictatorial policies by pushing forward with the project without constitutional approval. Drawing parallels with former president Pervez Musharraf’s controversial Greater Thal Canal, he claimed that the PML-N government was following the same undemocratic approach.
Khuhro also criticized the Punjab government for allocating funds for the project without consulting other provinces. He described the initiative as an “attack on Sindh’s water rights” and vowed that PPP would resist it through legal and democratic means.
A resolution opposing the project has already been passed in the Sindh Assembly. PPP plans to collaborate with political parties, nationalist organizations, lawyers, and civil society groups to form a united front against the canals.
Khuhro warned that the Cholistan Canal project poses an even greater threat to Sindh than the long-opposed Kalabagh Dam. He stressed that just as the PML-N government had to abandon the Kalabagh Dam, it would eventually be forced to withdraw this project as well.
He urged the people of Sindh to stand together to protect the Indus River and safeguard the province’s water rights.
