Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has strongly opposed the proposed Cholistan Canal project, warning that his party has the power to topple the federal government.
Speaking informally with journalists in Karachi, Murad Ali Shah reiterated that water distribution remains Pakistan’s most critical issue. He claimed that the Indus River System’s water shortage data contradicts federal studies, expressing doubts over the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)’s assessments.
“People used to say the Kalabagh Dam was being built, and now the same situation is being created with the Cholistan Canal,” Murad Ali Shah said, adding that Sindh will resist any move that undermines its water rights.
Murad Ali Shah accused Punjab of unilaterally proposing a canal from the Chenab River, arguing that such projects require national consensus. “We raised objections in the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) and will continue to oppose this in the Council of Common Interests (CCI),” he stated.
He also dismissed claims that surplus 27 million acre-feet (MAF) of water was available for the delta, saying: “If that were true, our delta would be flourishing. The reality is different.”
The Sindh CM accused the federal government of manipulating meeting records regarding land allocation for Green Pakistan Initiative. “President Asif Ali Zardari was told that additional land would be cultivated if provinces had no objections. But the official meeting minutes were altered to justify the canal’s construction,” he alleged.
Murad Ali Shah insisted that Sindh had passed a resolution against the canals and would not allow their construction. “Pakistan People’s Party is a political force, and we will use that strength to stop this project,” he declared.
According to Murad Ali Shah, Punjab is moving ahead with its canal project despite opposition. “We sent a team in February to inspect the site, and there was no activity. Then suddenly, we found out construction had begun,” he said.
He also claimed that the Punjab government allocated 1.2 million acres for Green Pakistan Initiative, using solar-powered tube wells for corporate farming.
CM Sindh demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly announce that the federal government does not support the Cholistan Canal project.
“If the prime minister does not make this declaration, we will stand with the people of Sindh. The opposition wants the federal government to collapse, but we will resist canal construction using constitutional means,” he asserted.
Murad Ali Shah also invoked Benazir Bhutto and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s legacy, recalling how PPP successfully blocked the Kalabagh Dam project. “The Indus River is our lifeline. The federation must respect our position,” he concluded.
