HYDERABAD: A Joint Action Committee, comprising representatives of civil society, on Thursday and rejected proposed amendments to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act, 1992, terming the changes anti-federation.

They were speaking at the committee’s meeting at local press club.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s adviser Imdad Chandio said that if one province was pushed against the wall then it would affect the entire federation. Proposing amendments in closed door meetings was a tyranny against haris of Sindh, he said.

Women Action Forum’s representative Amar Sindhu said that Sindh’s share in water would be diverted to the land to be cultivated under Green Pakistan Initiative, which would cause massive loss of productivity in Sindh.

Suleman G. Abro, representative of an NGO, said that it was good to note that Sindh Assembly had adopted a resolution on this issue.

Prominent writer Taj Joyo termed the amendments a conspiracy to irrigate barren land at the cost of cultivable land. It was tantamount to doing away with agricultural existence of Sindh, he said.

Hyderabad Union of Journalist’s (Butt group) Iqbal Mallah said that the amendments would deprive Sindh of its water share. Sindh was already facing water shortage, he said.

The meeting adopted a resolution, terming proposed amendments anti-federation. It said the amendments were a matter of life and death for the province. People of Sindh would not accept such amendments, it said and appreciated Sindh Assembly’s resolution on the changes to Irsa Act.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2024