By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Monday endorsed the government’s earlier decision to shelve a $2 billion Indus River canal project, following protests in Sindh province and pressure from a key coalition ally.
The project, launched in February, sparked immediate opposition in Sindh, where critics, including civil society groups and nationalist parties, warned it would divert water from the downstream province, deepening shortages for farmers.
The project’s launch on February 15, led by Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, had aimed to transform agriculture in South Punjab. However, it faced immediate backlash in Sindh, amplifying tensions over water distribution in a country where the Indus River is a lifeline for millions.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition had threatened to withdraw its support over project, which aimed to build six new canals to irrigate vast tracts of arid land in the Cholistan desert.
In a statement, the government said Monday’s CCI meeting, attended by Sharif and the four provincial chief ministers, endorsed the decision to suspend the project until “mutual understanding” is achieved among the provinces.
“The federal government has decided that no new canals will be built without mutual understanding from CCI,” the statement said. “It has been decided that the Federal Government will not move further until mutual understanding is evolved among the provinces.”
The CCI, a constitutional body tasked with resolving inter-provincial disputes, also backed the creation of a committee to address concerns and develop a long-term strategy for agriculture and water management.
The committee, comprising representatives from the federal government and all provinces, will align its proposals with the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 and the Water Policy of 2018.
“The committee will propose solutions to Pakistan ‘s long term agriculture needs and water use of all provinces in line with the two consensus documents,” the statement said.
The statement highlighted the constitutional imperative to resolve water disputes amicably.
“Water is one of the most precious commodities and the makers of the Constitution recognized this, mandating all water disputes to be resolved amicably through mutual understanding and concerns of any province shall be addressed through due diligence amongst all stakeholders,” the statement added. “In view of the above, after deliberations, the Council decided that the provisional ECNEC approval dated 7 February 2024 for construction of new canals and the IRSA water availability certificate issued in its meeting dated 17 January 2024 be returned.”
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