In February, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz jointly launched the “Green Pakistan Initiative in Cholistan.” The project, aimed at modernizing and commercializing agriculture in the South Punjab region of Pakistan, included the construction of six new canals from the Sindh River, triggering widespread outrage in Sindh.
Karachi Following intense opposition from the Sindh Assembly and a wave of protests across the province by Sindh’s lawyers and nationalists, the federal government has agreed to halt the controversial canal project.
The initiative has been met with strong opposition, as drought-hit Sindh views the project as a threat to its already dwindling share of Indus waters. In March, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the project.
Protests have erupted across the province in cities including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Ghotki, and Jacobabad. Sit-ins on key highways—such as the National Highway, Indus Highway, and other routes connecting Sindh to Punjab—have brought traffic and trade to a standstill. Protesters have blocked major roads leading to Punjab, disrupting the movement of goods and commuters and blocking the landlocked province’s access to the port city of Karachi.
Over hundreds of containers loaded with export-bound vegetables are stranded at Sindh’s entry points due to road blockades. Exporters have expressed concern over massive losses, warning that the delay could affect international trade.
Sindh’s Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told the media that Sindh had formally taken the matter to the Council of Common Interests (CCI), in June 2024. He reaffirmed that the provincial government would not allow the construction of the canals, saying the administration supports peaceful protests and has not initiated action against demonstrators.
Despite the federal government’s announcement on Thursday to pause the project until a consensus is reached in the CCI, many protestors remain unconvinced. Civil society groups, student organisations, and nationalist parties have vowed to continue their demonstrations until a complete cancellation is announced.
Massive rallies led by groups such as the Save Indus Students Alliance and the Karachi Bachao Tehreek have attracted a large crowd against the purpose canal on Sindh’s rivers.. In Karachi, students and civil society members marched from Teen Talwar to Fawara Chowk, carrying placards and chanting slogans against the project.
Sindh United Party’s leader Syed Zain Shah rejected the federal statement as ambiguous. “There is no water in the Indus system. No justification exists for canal construction. We fear the government will use the CCI to strike compromises,” he said.
JUI-F’s Allama Rashid Mehmood Soomro echoed these concerns, declaring that protests would continue unabated until the CCI formally rejects the plan.
Murad Ali Shah, speaking in a television interview, emphasized that while his party does not seek to topple the federal government, it has the political strength to do so if necessary. “We have the capacity, but we want to avoid a national crisis,” he said.
For now, the government’s pause has failed to cool tensions. Protest leaders, lawyers, and activists say they will not stand down until the project is officially denotified, viewing it as essential for protecting Sindh’s water rights and long-term sustainability.