LAHORE: Punjab ministers have once again downplayed Sindh’s concerns over the proposed new canal on the Indus river and asked the province not to politicise the issue.

The contentious $3.3 billion Green Pakistan Initiative 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.

The southern province, which is at the fag end of the river system fears it will lose its water share from the Indus River due to the construction of these canals.

While both PML-N and PPP are allies in the federal government, their leaders have publicly expressed their differences on this issue.

Marriyum rejects politics over project; Pirzada compares it with opposition to Kalabagh dam

On Sunday, Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the project should not be politicised.

She said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has categorically stated that PPP’s reservations on this issue will be addressed.

“The forum of Council of Common Interests is there to discuss such issues,” she said about the body that includes all chief ministers. Interestingly, the PPP has repeatedly urged the federal government to call the CCI’s meeting to discuss the canal project.

She said water share of Punjab and Sindh were “very well defined in the Constitution and none is stealing anyone’s share”.

Separately, Punjab Irrigation Minister Kazim Pirzada has reminded the PPP that its leader, President Asif Zardari, approved the canal project. “As President and PPP leader, he has given the go ahead [for the project] and it has been discussed with him. The media has reported it as well.”

Speaking at DawnNewsTV’s programme Doosra Rukh, Mr Pirzada also mentioned the contentious Kalabagh Dam project.

He said the dam project, opposed by all provinces but Punjab, should be built, Dawn.com reported.

“Yes, the Kalabagh Dam should be built … 100 per cent it should be built,” he added.

When reminded by the host that all three provincial assemblies apart from Punjab adopted resolutions against the project, Mr Pirzada responded, “We are doing politics on this issue but not making a logical argument.

“ … As far as the objection by Sindh is concerned that their water will be stopped, we are only saying when there is a flood situation and water is in abundance, it should be stored.“

“If a reservoir is made and Punjab is the upper riparian, then Sindh and Balochistan being the lower riparian provinces will be the next beneficiaries and its beneficial for the whole country.”

Last week, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari also asserted that President Zardari had approved the project. “It is documented, it is signed,” Ms Bukhari said and reiterated that the PPP was only looking to do politics on the issue, terming it “unfortunate”.

While responding to Ms Bukhari’s claims, Sindh Senior Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said it wasn’t the president’s mandate to approve the project.

“It is not his mandate. We are tired of telling you this a 100 times,” Mr Memon said, adding that there was a process the federal government had failed to follow.

The canals project aims to irrigate 4.8 million acres of land by constructing six canals — two each in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab. Five of these canals will be built on the Indus River, with the sixth one on the Sutlej River, supplying approximately 4,120 cusecs of water to irrigate the Cholistan desert in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2025