Mass April 4 gathering at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh: PPP Sindh Council opposes new canals on River Indus

KARACHI: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has announced a massive public gathering on April 4 in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to mark the 46th death anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

During the meeting, the party strongly rejected the federal government’s proposed project of six new canals on the Indus River, and warned that Sindh would not accept any new canal project under the Indus River system.

The PPP Sindh Council meeting was held at the CM House on Saturday. It was chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The meeting was attended by PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, former CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah, General Secretary Waqar Mehdi, Manzoor Wassan, Sarfraz Rajar, Noman Sheikh, Saeed Ghani, Syed Nasir Shah, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Agha Siraj Durrani, Lal Chand Ukrani, Shahida Rehmani, and several other provincial ministers and party officials.

Indus River Canals Project: Addressing the meeting, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reiterated PPP’s firm stance against any new canal project on the Indus River. He expressed support for resolutions passed by the Sindh Council opposing the federal government’s proposed canals, emphasising that the party has always raised its voice against such projects that threaten Sindh’s water rights.

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Bilawal Bhutto stressed that PPP has always been at the forefront of advocating for Sindh’s rights and will continue to represent the people on critical issues like water distribution.

PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro termed the six canals project as a deliberate attempt to deprive Sindh of its fair share of water. He demanded that the federal government immediately withdraw the plan and convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to address Sindh’s concerns.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah echoed these concerns, stating that the province would never accept any new canal project under the Indus River System. He pointed out that there is already a severe water shortage in the system and questioned the source of water for these new canals.

Shah demanded that water distribution be carried out strictly under Paragraph 2 of the 1991 Water Accord.

PPP General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said that the party had opposed the canal project from the beginning, even before other political parties became aware of it. He reaffirmed PPP’s commitment to safeguarding Sindh’s water rights and vowed that the party would not allow any project that undermines the province’s resources.

Resolutions: The PPP Sindh Council passed several resolutions during the meeting. They include paid homage to the former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on his 46th death anniversary and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring massive public participation in the April 4, gathering at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto.

Rejected new canals: The council categorically rejected the federal government’s plan for six new canals and warned that Sindh would not accept any project that disrupts the Indus River System.

Implementation Water Accord: PPP Sindh Council demanded that water distribution be ensured as per Paragraph 2 of the 1991 Water Accord, ensuring Sindh receives its rightful share. The resolution also called for releasing at least 10 million acre-feet of water downstream Kotri Barrage.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025