ISLAMABAD: Members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) staged a protest in the National Assembly on Thursday over the exclusion of a resolution opposing the construction of canals from the Indus River from the parliamentary agenda.
PPP spokesperson Shazia Marri voiced the party’s concerns via social media platform X, stating that PPP MNAs had submitted the resolution on April 7 against the controversial canal projects but it was not included in the National Assembly’s agenda. The resolution has reportedly not received support from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Despite responses from the treasury benches, PPP continues to demand the passage of the resolution against canal construction on the Indus, Marri stated. She also criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for causing disruption during the session.
The controversy stems from a canal project inaugurated on February 15 by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir. Under the “Green Pakistan Initiative,” the project aims to draw water from the Indus River to irrigate barren lands in South Punjab's Cholistan region. The plan includes five canals from the Indus and one from the Sutlej River, delivering approximately 4,120 cusecs of water to the desert area, ultimately irrigating 4.8 million acres.
While the Punjab government hails the project as a game-changer for the region, it has sparked significant public anger and political opposition in Sindh. Critics argue the project could deprive Sindh of its rightful water share under the 1991 Water Accord.
In March, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution demanding an immediate halt to any construction or related activity on the new canals until a consensus is reached among all provinces.
Marri accused Punjab ministers of making “provocative and divisive” remarks and condemned PTI for disrupting the proceedings. She added that it was under former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI government that the initial approval for two of the canals was given—an act that PPP and Sindh had staunchly opposed.
“If PTI truly wishes to rectify its past mistake, it should support our resolution,” said Marri.
Reaffirming PPP’s commitment to equitable water distribution, she emphasized that the party stands by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari’s view that the canal project is a “unilateral” decision.
“This is a matter of life and death,” Marri stressed, urging national unity against the project and calling for adherence to the 1991 Water Accord as the foundation for all water distribution decisions in the country.
