Water dispute

The Indus River is the lifeline of Pakistan, especially Sindh, which relies on it for agriculture, drinking water and livelihood. As such, the building of six new canals north of Sindh will exacerbate the province’s water scarcity problems and harms the spirit of unity among the federating units of Pakistan. Sindh is already suffering from a severe water shortage. Thousands of acres of fertile land are turning barren, and farmers are unable to irrigate their crops. The addition of more canals, in this context, will likely compound these issues.

This matter must be urgently raised in the National Assembly, the judiciary and the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The silence and/or inaction of federal water authorities has only added fuel to the fire. Are these institutions only there to produce reports or do they have a role in ensuring just and fair resource distribution?

Tarique Umer Daraz Mahar

Shikarpur