Bilawal Warns Against New Canals on Indus River

ISLAMABAD: Bilawal opposed construction of new canals on the Indus River, saying this is a direct assault on the water rights of Sindh & actions “equal to playing with fire.”

Bilawal, who was speaking informally to the media, commented that the controversial scheme for the six new canals, including the Cholistan Canal, had provoked an increasing protest and public outcry in Sindh since it was announced, with many of the people in the province angered by a loss of their water share.

This is not just a political issue but an issue of the existence of Sindh, and a final warning has gone out to the federal government. Bilawal also said, “Under no circumstances will an additional canal from the Indus River be tolerated; it is wishful thinking.”

He said that although he was due today to address the National Assembly to present a written statement of government policy on the matter, a recent attack in Balochistan had stopped him from doing so.

The PPP Chairman further said that President Asif Ali Zardari had also not sanctioned any sBussinesslMntew scheme for construction of new canals from the Indus River. “Let me make it clear—neither the party nor its leadership has given consent to this plan,” he asserted.

Bilawal also disclosed the controversial matter has already been referred to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) by the Sindh govt to avail the opportunity to project Sindh concerns on a national level as this is a constitutional forum, dealing with the interprovincial issues.

On Thursday morning, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) passed a resolution against the scheme from the Sindh Assembly, strongly opposing the construction of six canals and terming it a keeping the masses of Sindh angry.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, when presenting the resolution, said that no canal can be constructed, including Cholistan Canal, without the explicit permission of Sindh as guaranteed by the 1991 Indus River Water Apportionment Accord. It is illegal to build new canals on the Indus River without Sindh’s permission, and this too violates the accord, he said.

Bilawal Bhutto also reiterated that his party will not bend its knee, “The people of Sindh stand with us, and we will not allow any injustice with regards to our share of water.”

The resurgent controversy over water distribution in 2023 has revived the old fears of Sindh of equitable sharing of the waters of the Indus River, which continues to exist in its political landscape even today.