By Mohammad Ehsan Leghari

As 2025 draws to a close, Pakistan stands at a hydrological crossroads. A year marked by the paradoxical extremes of climate change; dry winter to started with, devastating monsoon floods followed by parched last months, has culminated in an unambiguous warning from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The newly released ‘Asian Water Development Outlook 2025’ (AWDO 2025) provides more than just data; it offers a profound diagnostic of a nation whose water security is lagging behind a rapidly advancing region. While the broader Asia-Pacific has successfully transitioned nearly 2.7 billion people toward water security since 2013, Pakistan’s progress remains incremental at best, with its National Water Security (NWS) index increasing by a mere 6.4 points, trapping the country in the entry level of  “Engaged” stage (Stage 2) alongside nations facing extreme fragility like Afghanistan (ADB, 2025).

The Governance Gap: Paper Victories vs. Ground Realities

The analytical core of the AWDO 2025 evaluates 50 countries across five critical dimensions: rural household water security, economic water security, urban water security, environmental water security, and resilience to water-related disasters. These dimensions aggregate into a National Water Security (NWS) index.

The Five Stages of Water Security

The AWDO framework categorizes nations into five stages based on their ability to manage water resources and risks. Stage 1 (Nascent) represents countries with minimal institutional capacity and high vulnerability. Stage 2 (Engaged), where Pakistan currently sits, identifies nations that have established policy frameworks but struggle with a significant gap between legislation and ground-level implementation. Stage 3 (Capable) marks the transition to functional service delivery and coordinated management, while Stage 4 (Effective) denotes near-universal access and advanced governance. Finally, Stage 5 (Model) is the gold standard, reserved for countries with fully resilient, circular water economies capable of withstanding extreme climate shocks.

For Pakistan, the report identifies a worrying “implementation gap.” While governance indicators nominally improved from 50% in 2017 to 63% in 2023, largely due to the formalization of the 2018 National Water Policy; these improvements remain largely confined to policy documents. On the ground, the reality is sobering: over 80% of the 240 million citizens still lack access to safely managed drinking water. In urban centers, the shift in security was a negligible +1.7 points, reflecting a chronic failure in drainage systems that turned megacities like Karachi into flood zones during the 2025 monsoons, forcing a continued and expensive reliance on informal “tanker economies” (ADB, 2025). The other large cities like Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Lahore were also devastated by 2025 floods.

The Indus Delta: Defending the “Environmental Flow”

The most critical evidence of Pakistan’s stagnant water strategy is found in the Environmental Water Security dimension, which saw a net decline of 0.4 points. Pakistan is an outlier in this regard, as it is the only dimension where progress actually reversed. This decline is the direct result of the ongoing collapse of the Indus Delta, an ecosystem that the report describes as being in terminal decline due to the systemic deprivation of freshwater flows (ADB, 2025).

For decades, a pervasive and scientifically flawed narrative has dominated Pakistan’s upstream and engineering circles: the idea that freshwater flowing into the sea is a “waste.” AWDO 2025 provides a sharp empirical rebuttal to this myth. This discharge, known as Environmental Flow (E-Flow), is not a luxury but a functional requirement for the country’s physical and economic survival. E-Flows provide the hydraulic pressure necessary to push back the Arabian Sea. Without this pressure, seawater has intruded dozens of miles inland, sterilizing fertile soil and contaminating the groundwater table. The cost of this “waste” narrative has been the displacement of 1.2 million people over the last two decades, turning the Delta’s inhabitants into “climate refugees” within their own borders (UNU, 2024; ADB, 2025).

Furthermore, the Delta is suffering from “sediment starvation.” By trapping nutrient-rich silt behind upstream dams without any restorative downstream planning, Pakistan has essentially ensured that its coastline is shrinking. The report highlights that the death of the Delta’s mangrove forests which are our natural defense against storm surges, has left the coastal economy exposed to climate shocks that shaved an estimated 0.5% off the national GDP in 2025 alone.

A Comparative Perspective: Why others are winning

Pakistan’s predicament is underscored when contrasted with its South Asian neighbors, who face similar population pressures and monsoonal extremes but have charted more robust paths forward.

• Bangladesh (+8.6 points): Once the global symbol of flood vulnerability, Bangladesh has surged ahead via its Delta Plan 2100. Unlike Pakistan, Bangladesh treats its delta as an economic engine. By integrating climate-resilient crops and using river sediment to naturally raise land levels, they have stabilized food supplies and minimized land loss to the sea (GWP, 2024).
• Vietnam: Though outside South Asia, Vietnam’s Resolution 120 for the Mekong Delta is important work. Vietnam moved away from intensive rice farming that required blocking the sea, instead embracing a “nature-based” economy that thrives on the natural mixing of fresh and saline water for high-value aquaculture (World Bank, 2023).
• Sri Lanka (+11.3 points): Sri Lanka leads the region in urban and environmental balance. By designating coastal wetlands as “Green Infrastructure,” Colombo uses its marshes to absorb monsoon surges—a strategy that protects the city far more effectively than the crumbling concrete drains of Karachi (ADB, 2025).
• India (+15.0 points): India recorded the highest NWS increase in the region. Through its Jal Jeevan Mission, it prioritized rural household water security, lifting millions out of insecurity by expanding piped water networks. Though there were severe conflicts on water distribution between states, e.g., Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on waters of Kaveri River, India’s gains were helped by federal-state collaborations and investments in groundwater regulation and river basin planning—cooperation that Pakistan’s inter-provincial mistrust has yet to replicate (ADB, 2025).
• Nepal (+11.1 points): Nepal excelled by embedding water policies into its national development plans. By leveraging international aid for widespread piped networks and sanitation upgrades, Nepal achieved improvements nearly double those of Pakistan. This cohesive institutional approach bridged the “implementation gap,” significantly lowering disease burdens in remote Himalayan villages (ADB, 2025).

The Economic Toll of Inefficiency

Economic water security in Pakistan improved by a mere 0.9 points, primarily because the agricultural sector continues to consume 90% of available resources with some of the lowest yields in Asia. The ADB report estimates that the regional investment gap will reach $4 trillion by 2040. For Pakistan, this gap is compounded by “deferred maintenance” on irrigation systems and a persistent neglect of women’s roles in water collection and management, which further marginalizes the most vulnerable segments of the population.

Conclusion: 2026—Reform or Repetition?

The AWDO 2025 serves as both an indictment and a roadmap. The report concludes that “turning frameworks into action is now critical.” For Pakistan, this means an immediate and legally binding commitment to Environmental Flows for the Indus Delta. The “waste” narrative is a luxury the country can no longer afford.

As the year 2026 approaches, the question is whether the state will continue its reliance on paper policies or if it will finally adopt the nature-based, climate-adaptive strategies seen in its neighbors. The survival of the Indus Delta; and by extension, the prosperity of the entire nation, depends on recognizing that water security is not about how much we trap, but how well we manage the flows that sustain the life of the land.

References

Asian Development Bank (2025). Asian Water Development Outlook 2025: Advancing Water Security Across Asia and the Pacific. Manila: ADB

Global Water Partnership (2024). Deltaic Governance and Climate Resilience in South Asia: A Regional Perspective. Stockholm: GWP.

World Bank (2023). Vietnam Mekong Delta Resilience Report: Shifting from Quantity to Quality. Washington D.C.: World Bank.

United Nations University (2024). Sinking Deltas: A Global Assessment of Sediment Starvation and Sea-Level Rise. Tokyo: UNU-EHS.

Government of Pakistan (2018). National Water Policy. Islamabad: Ministry of Water Resources.

Read: Beneath The Pakistan’s Soil

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Mohammad Ehsan Leghari is a water expert, former Member (Sindh), Indus River System Authority (IRSA), and former Managing Director, SIDA.

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Hyderabad, Sindh  

The Central Committee of Awami Tehreek has decided to intensify public mobilization campaign against corporate farming, canal construction and resource plunder, by holding protest demonstrations and rallies across Sindh from July 18 to August 30.

The decision was taken in a meeting held in Hyderabad on Sunday July 13, with Advocate Vasand Thari, central president of Awami Tehreek in the chair.

It also decided to organize seminars this month in Kashmore-Kandhkot and Ghotki districts against the lawlessness, kidnapping for ransom and dacoit-rule under the alleged patronage of government-backed tribal chiefs.

“Strong struggle by the oppressed nations and classes of the country is needed against black laws such as the Board of Investment Amendment Act 2023, SIFC, 26th Constitutional Amendment, and PECA Act,” Advocate Vasand Thari said while speaking at the meeting.

In the meeting, it was stated that corporate farming is a conspiracy to snatch the ancestral lands of Sindhis, Baloch, Saraikis, and Pashtuns.

Awami Tehreek will play its role in this regard and will intensify contact with political parties, literary and social figures of the oppressed nations and classes of the country, a press release said.

The meeting strongly condemned the killing of innocent people in Balochistan and the assassination of ANP leader Maulana Khanzeb in Bajaur. Expressing sorrow over the suicide of Fazila Laghari and her innocent daughter Abham in village Bajarani Laghari near Moro, the participants said that due to the anti-people policies of the PPP government, Sindh’s daughters are being forced to commit suicide.

It was alleged in the meeting that PPP rulers have turned all institutions into dens of corruption, which is the reason behind the horrifying building collapse in Lyari. The suspension of a few officials cannot bring justice to the innocent lives lost. The Sindh government has turned into an anti-people mafia. The police have become personal servants of the PPP. The northern districts of Sindh, especially Sukkur and Larkana divisions, has been handed over to bandits, and no citizen is safe in terms of life or property.

Leaders said that the proposed projects of Sindh Barrage, Hasilpur Barrage, Bhasha Dam, Cholistan Canal, and other such projects are killing the Indus River. Dams are contributing to climate change in the region. Construction of dams should be stopped immediately, and the required amount of water must be allowed to flow into the sea to ensure environmental protection. Forests should be preserved and restored instead of cutting them down and giving land to corporate farming.

The call by MQM terrorists for new provinces in Sindh was declared a conspiracy against the country. Awami Tehreek leaders demanded that those trying to divide Sindh to break the country be prosecuted under Article 6 of the Constitution. The leaders said that the occupying forces of the state are encouraging MQM terrorists and Katcha-area bandits to retaliate against the Sindhi nation for the Babarloi Dharna (sit- in). The Sindhi nation will fight to the last person and last drop of blood to protect its land, river, and unity of Sindh. The peaceful democratic struggle will be intensified and strengthened further. (PR)

Read: The Silent Cry of Sindh

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Seminar on “Climate Risks and Challenges in Sindh” held at SMIU

Karachi, Sindh

The environmentalists, academics, and community activists have sounded the alarm over the accelerating destruction of the Indus Delta, calling for urgent measures to safeguard both the fragile ecosystem and the livelihoods of its fishing communities.

At a seminar titled “Climate Risks and Challenges in Sindh: Regional Vulnerabilities, Emissions Control, and Institutional Strategies for Sustainable Action,” hosted on June 11, by Sindh Madressatul Islam University in collaboration with the Knowledge Forum, speakers highlighted the devastating impact of reduced freshwater flows in the River Indus.

The speakers highlighted that the reduction in river water flow has triggered widespread agricultural land loss, rampant sea intrusion, and a dramatic depletion of fish stocks, placing immense pressure on the delta’s population and biodiversity.

Ali Anjum of WWF underscored the crisis, noting that the delta, home to Asia’s seventh-largest mangrove forests, is facing massive losses due to unchecked sea intrusion, overexploitation of forests, urban land reclamation, and escalating coastal pollution. He warned that the shrinking freshwater supply is intensifying flood risk, land erosion, and the collapse of traditional livelihoods.

The consequences of these changes are stark: The Indus Delta has shrunk by over 90% in recent decades, millions of acres of fertile land have been lost to seawater intrusion, and groundwater salinity has rendered much of the region’s water undrinkable and unfit for irrigation.

Rising temperatures—projected to increase by up to 4°C by 2100—along with erratic rainfall and frequent extreme weather events, are further undermining crop and livestock productivity, driving food insecurity, and forcing rural populations to migrate to urban areas. Speakers at the seminar called for integrated, climate-resilient development strategies, legal protection for freshwater flows, and urgent institutional reforms to restore the ecological balance of the Indus Delta before irreversible damage occurs.

Mentioning land losses in 3 talukas i.e. Keti Bandar, Khharo Chhan and Shah Bandar, Mr. Ali Anjum said that so for 263,272 hectares of land have become baron. Ali Anjum from WWF said that agriculture losses of the area are Rs.4.2 million, fishery losses are Rs.3.5 million and forestry losses (mangroves and riverine are Rs.145.0 million. And if these trends continue for the next 25 years we shall bear Rs.4.1 billion losses. He further said that WWF study reveals that 1.5 inches per day of mangrove land is eroded.

Ali Anjum informed that 450 Million Gallon per Day (MGD) of untreated wastewater by more than 6000 industrial units dumped in mangrove habitats, leading to growth retention and degradation of marine ecosystem. The seminar also drew attention to the alarming ecological decline documented by researchers and community leaders.

Fatima Majeed of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum reported a sharp drop in fish stocks and mangrove cover, with many fish species now extinct and new mangrove plantations failing due to insufficient freshwater.

Read: Indus Delta’s Predator at Risk

She said that once a rich area, the Indus Delta area is now destroyed, and people are forced to migrate.  Ms. Fatima Majeed said that there were 450 islands in 17 creeks of the Indus Delta, which were most beautiful, but now a few islands have been remained behind. She was of the view that the community living on the islands was prosperous in the past, but due to rise in the sea level and stoppage of Indus water in the delta, these islands have been destroyed and tens of thousands of people have been migrated to other places. She also said that about 4.2 million acres of the land of coastal districts of Sindh has been eroded by sea. She was of the view that the only solution of these issues is to release the water of Indus River into delta.

Ms. Zeenia Shaukat, Director of the TKF, explained about the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), which are climate action plans developed by individual countries as part of their commitment under the Paris Agreement (2015) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Each country sets its targets and updates them every five years, aiming to increase ambition over time.

According to her, NDCs are critically important for Pakistan because they provide a strategic roadmap for low-carbon development, climate resilience, and international collaboration.

She said effective implementation of Pakistan’s NDCs is essential not only for environmental protection but also for sustainable economic growth and the well-being of future generations.

Dean, Department of Social and Development Studies Dr. Jamshed Adil Halepoto, stressed the need to tackle the environmental challenges effectively.

Dr. Subhash, Chairman of Department of Social and Development of SMIU, in his opening remarks, emphasized that Pakistan is grappling with severe climate change challenges, with the Indus Delta among the worst affected.  Dr. Muhammad Kamil Lakho conducted the session. (PR)

Read: Save The Dying Indus Delta

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Badin| Mirpurkhas

Awami Tehreek’s protest movement continues in the form of demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, and rallies against corporate farming, the occupation of Sindh’s lands and resources, and the construction of six new canals from the Indus River.

A protest march was held in Seraani town of district Badin on Sunday June 1, against corporate farming projects and new canals on the Indus, led by Awami Tehreek’s Central President Advocate Vasand Thari, Central Vice President Sattar Rind, Ali Mohammad Parvez Memon, Mehran Dars, Mukhtiar Bakari, Advocate Kamran Lakho, Advocate Fazil Zaur, Mohammad Ali Talpur, Bahadur Talpur, and others.

Speaking on the occasion, the leaders said the federal and Punjab governments must be held accountable for the usurpation of water of Sindh, which has continued since 1859. They accused PPP of orchestrating false dramas. They alleged that the peaceful movement of Sindh against corporate farming and canals is being turned violent. Under a conspiracy, lawlessness is being promoted in Sindh.

Meanwhile, in Mirpurkhas, Sindhi Hari Tehreek and Awami Tehreek organized a protest rally.

The protest rally commenced from State Life and concluded at Press Club Mirpurkhas, led by prominent leaders including Noor Ahmed Katiar (Central Senior Vice President, Awami Tehreek), Dr. Dildar Laghari (Central Leader, Sindhi Hari Tehreek), Mukhtiar Khaskheli (District President, Awami Tehreek Mirpurkhas), Ali Nawaz Dahri (Central Senior Vice President, Sindhi Hari Tehreek), Comrade Shagan Kolhi (District President, Sindhi Hari Tehreek Mirpurkhas), Ameer Bux Jarwar, Khair Muhammad Chandio, and other activists.

Addressing the rally, Noor Ahmed Katiar said, “Corporate farming projects are being used to carry out economic massacre of farmers. These are clear attempts to seize the resources of oppressed nations under the guise of development. Punjab’s rulers are launching encroachments on the Indus River, treating Sindh as a conquered territory, and betraying the very foundations laid by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.”

Dr. Dildar Laghari stated, “Through these projects, farmers are being displaced, their lands snatched, and their rights denied. Black laws like the Labor Code have been imposed to enslave farmers and strip them of basic rights.”

Ali Nawaz Dahri criticized the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) saying, “The PPP raised slogans of bread, cloth, and shelter, yet in its 17 years of rule, it hasn’t granted even a single acre of land to the farmers. It remains a party of feudal lords, landlords, and spiritual leaders, exploiting poor and working-class people.”

Mukhtiar Khaskheli and Comrade Shagan Kolhi highlighted that, “Due to an artificially created water shortage, crops like cotton could not be cultivated in Mirpurkhas. The Sindh government is equally complicit with Punjab’s rulers in looting Sindh’s water and resources, deliberately pushing Sindh towards a drought-like situation.”

The leaders collectively vowed that the joint struggle of Awami Tehreek and Sindhi Hari Tehreek against corporate farming schemes, illegal encroachments on the Indus River, and the exploitation of Sindh’s resources would continue until the defeat of oppressive forces. (PR)

Read: Sindh is under the Dictatorship

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Jhol, Sanghar, Sindh

Awami Tehreek organized a rally in Jhol town of Sanghar district on Saturday May 31, as its protest movement continues against corporate farming projects, the extraction of six new canals from the Indus River, and the occupation of Sindh’s lands and mineral resources.

A large number of people participated in the protest rally. Despite the intense heat, people marched to safeguard Sindh’s lands, the Indus River, and its resources.

The protest march was led by Advocate Vasand Thari, Central President of Awami Tehreek, Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiar, District Sanghar President Attaullah Unar, Rano Kundhani, Central Leader of Sindhyani Tehreek Maryam Unar, Central Leader of Sindhi Hari Tehreek Comrade Ali Nawaz Dahri, Aqeel Makorani, Alam Laghari, and others.

Addressing the rally, the leaders stated that corporate farming projects are conspiracies to erase the very existence of the nations who created Pakistan. Advocate Vasand Thari said that through these corporate farming projects, Sindh’s lands, mineral resources, and historic sites are being sold off. He accused the PPP rulers of being complicit in the sale of Sindh’s resources. He said that the people of Sindh would continue their struggle against corporate farming projects.

He also claimed that the PPP is trying to weaken the people’s movement through conspiracies, and that the PPP’s tenure has been worse than the harshest dictatorships. He stated that in the name of democracy, dictatorship has been established in Sindh, while a sham democracy has been created throughout the country. He alleged that the establishment has committed electoral fraud, installing dummy rulers under the guise of elections.

Speaking about the Bhasha Dam, he called it a dangerous project for Sindh. He warned that with the construction of six canals alongside the Bhasha Dam, Sindh would be destroyed. He said the Indus River is breathing its last, and allocating funds for the Bhasha Dam in the budget is an act of hostility against the country. He accused the rulers of weakening the country rather than strengthening it.

Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiar stated that the Indus River is the only lifeline for Sindh, and the people of Sindh will never tolerate dam projects by India and Punjab’s rulers on the Indus River. He stressed the need for a long, peaceful, and democratic struggle for the ownership of the Indus River and Sindh’s lands.

He warned that PPP rulers, the establishment, and their loyal agents are conspiring to turn Sindh’s peaceful struggle into a violent one, and the people of Sindh must remain vigilant against this plot.

District Sanghar President of Awami Tehreek, Attaullah Unar, accused the Zardari League of trading Sindh’s river and lands to make Bilawal Bhutto Zardari the Prime Minister. He highlighted the severe water shortage in Sanghar District, noting that despite it being an agricultural district, farmers and growers have been unable to sow their crops.

Sindhyani Tehreek’s central leader, Maryam Unar, stated that the daughters of Sindh are the true inheritors of Sindh. She affirmed that the brave women of Sindh will protect their land and rivers through struggle and defeat the anti-Sindh forces. (PR)

Read – Indus River: Lifeline of Sindh

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Slogans such as “No to canals!”, “Say No To Corporate Farming” and “Let the Indus River flow!” echoed throughout the Kathmandu Conference

Hyderabad / Kathmandu

A session of the recently held international conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, focused on pressing issues such as corporate farming, the destruction of the Indus Delta, threats to the existence of the Indus River, and the burden of debt imposed by global institutions that enslave poorer nations.

Advocate Kainat Dahri, central information Secretary of the Sindhyani Tehreek, participated in the conference, a Sindhyani Tehreek press release said here.

Slogans such as “No to canals!”, “Say No To Corporate Farming” and “Let the Indus River flow!” echoed throughout the event.

The conference adopted a resolution against corporate farming and canal construction, emphasizing the need to maintain the natural flow of the Indus River.

At the request of the Sindhyani Tehreek, participants held placards demanding an end to canals and corporate farming as a form of protest.

Addressing the conference, Advocate Kainat Dahri, stated that the Pakistani government has laid a web of dams and canals that has devastated and destroyed the Indus Delta.

She declared that six new canals are part of a genocidal conspiracy against seventy million Sindhis.

She added that while the Indus River is being slaughtered, corporate farming is being used to seize land from the Sindhi people, rendering them stateless in their own homeland—just like the Palestinians. (PR)

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Read – Indus River: Lifeline of Sindh

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Moro, Sindh  

A protest march was organized by Awami Tehreek in Moro town of Naushahro Feroze district on Sunday May 11, 2025 against the construction of canals from River Indus in Punjab, corporate farming, artificial water scarcity in Sindh, construction of the Diamer Bhasha Dam, and the encroachment on Sindh’s mineral resources.

The protest was led by Central President of Awami Tehreek Advocate Vasand Thari, Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiyar, Latif Bhatti, Hussain Soomro, and others. A large number of women from the Sindhyani Tehreek participated, along with children, youth, farmers, and laborers. They chanted slogans against corporate farming projects and the Bhasha Dam. They pledged to continue the struggle until all projects on the Indus River are shelved.

Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Vasand Thari and Noor Ahmed Katiyar said the decision to construct new canals on the Indus River has not yet been reversed. “The CCI’s decision is unconstitutional and a conspiracy to weaken the Sindhi nation’s struggle. The CCI (Council of Common Interests) functions as a Punjab-dominated institution. Institutions like IRSA and CCI represent Punjab instead of the federal structure.”

The leaders said the establishment and agent rulers of global imperialism have turned the secular and enlightened Pakistan envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah into a prison for oppressed nations. Pakistan has become a unitary state instead of a federal one.

Under Article 155 Clause 2 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the CCI has the authority to completely overturn such decisions if a complaint is made. But the federal government, cunningly, did not completely annul the canal decision. The PPP has made deals on the Indus River and Sindh’s lands. The PPP is a key component of the federal government, which cannot function even for a day without it. If Bilawal is truly against the canals, then President Zardari should resign and leave the federal alliance to stand with the Sindhi people in this struggle.

Despite severe water scarcity in Sindh, the opening of the Taunsa-Panjnad and Chashma-Jhelum link canals shows Punjab’s insensitivity. IRSA remains a silent spectator. Water is being stolen from Sindh between Chashma and Guddu Barrage, yet IRSA doesn’t say a word.

They declared that the people of Sindh will not tolerate any dam or canal on the Indus River. If the federal government allocates a budget for the dam, the people of Sindh will reject such an anti-national budget. Allocating funds for the Diamer Bhasha Dam is an attack on Sindh and a conspiracy to block its water. It has been reported in newspapers that a budget preparation meeting took place last Friday in which the Bhasha Dam budget was discussed. They believe this is a conspiratorial move against the country.

They affirmed that the Awami Tehreek’s struggle will continue against corporate farming projects, new canals, and dams on the Indus River. The scope of the struggle will be expanded even further. (PR)

Read: Bhasha Dam would be the world’s most dangerous dam

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Badin, Sindh

Awami Tehreek held a protest march on Saturday May 10, 2025 in Rajukhanani town of district Badin against the construction of canals from the Indus River in Punjab, corporate farming projects, and the worsening water shortage in Sindh.

The protest march started from Bakhsho Nizamani and culminated in a sit-in at WAPDA Chowk in Rajukhanani. The march was led by Awami Tehreek’s Central Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiyar, District President Ali Muhammad Pervaiz, Mehran Dars, Humero Mal, Mukhtiar Bakari, Fazil Zaur, Manji Kolhi, Hariram Kolhi, Lakhman Kolhi, Bhemchand Kolhi, Champa Kolhi, and others.

Speaking on the occasion, Central Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiyar said that Sindh is facing an extreme drought. People across Sindh are desperate even for a single drop of water. The province’s agricultural land has been rendered completely barren. Despite the worst water crisis in Sindh, Punjab has started filling its canals and dams through aggressive and unjust means. Even though Sindh is suffering from a severe water shortage, Punjab has opened the Taunsa-Panjnad and Chashma-Jhelum link canals, pushing Sindh further towards devastation. Punjab government has not stopped filling its dams and is stealing Sindh’s share of water.

He stated that at Guddu Barrage, the water shortage has reached 84%, at Sukkur Barrage it is 26%, and at Kotri Barrage it stands at 55%. While Sindh is crying out for water, Punjab continues to flow water through the Dacoit Canal (Dhaarelu Wah). Punjab has increased the flow of the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal to 12,000 cusecs and the Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal to 7,255 cusecs. He added that Sindh’s water is being stolen from Taunsa to Guddu, and there is no record or accountability for the stolen water.

He also strongly criticized the Sindh government, saying it has surpassed all limits of apathy. The Pakistan People’s Party is not willing to utter a single word about the water crisis. The Chief Minister of Sindh remains silent. He further said that while Sindh’s water is being looted on one hand, on the other, its mineral resources are being eyed. In Balochistan, the Mines and Minerals Act has been passed to occupy the region’s resources, and similar preparations are underway to seize Sindh’s minerals. (PR)

Read: Let the Indus River Flow Free

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Daharki, Sindh

Awami Tehreek organized a protest rally in Daharki town of Ghotki district of Sindh on May 2, 2025 against the corporate farming, six canals, artificial water scarcity, and the reign of bandits.

The rally was led by Awami Tehreek’s Central President Advocate Vasand Thari, Central Senior Vice President Noor Ahmed Katiyar, Advocate Sachal Bhutto, Advocate Sarwan Jatoi, and leaders of the Sindhyani Tehreek Shamshad Bappar, Paras Bhutto, Rehana Baloch, Seema Kalhoro, and Sorath Bhatt. Also present were Awami Tehreek Ghotki District leaders Ustad Jamal Bhutto, Mashooq Chachar, Saddam Oghahi, Vasand, and others.

Speaking at the sit-in in front of the press club, Advocate Vasand Thari, Noor Ahmed Katiyar, Sachal Bhatti, Sarwan Jatoi, Shamshad Bappar, and others said that the rulers of Punjab have blocked Sindh’s water. They stated that despite a large volume of water available in the Indus system, Sindh’s water has been stopped. Flood canals from Punjab, including TP and CJ Link Canals and other flood channels, have been opened. “By looting Sindh’s share of water, the once fertile Sindh has been turned barren,” they lamented.

They argued that Sindh is not even receiving water under the 1991 water accord. The PPP is staging a drama in the CCI (Council of Common Interests) to sell out the Indus River. The CCI is dominated by Punjab and is a unilateral, anti-federation, and anti-nation institution. The people of Sindh will trample on every anti-Sindh decision made by the CCI.

The leaders stated that the issue of Sindh’s water remains unresolved, and for over a century and a half, Punjab’s rulers have been looting Sindh’s water—Sindh will hold them accountable. They declared that as long as there is sand in the riverbed, their struggle will continue.

They further stated that millions of acres of Sindh’s land are being handed over to corporations. If the PPP does not cancel the lease of 52,713 acres, the consequences will be worse than what happened during the anti-canal movement. The people of Sindh will continue their peaceful democratic struggle to protect their land and river until the last drop of their blood.

The leaders also alleged that districts like Ghotki, Kandhkot, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, and Sukkur have been deliberately handed over to bandits. The riverine area has been turned into a market for the sale of NATO weapons. Police and elected representatives are acting as patrons of these bandits.

Read: PPP accused of selling the Indus River

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Qazi Ali Athar | Karachi

The Council of Common Interests (CCI) is a constitutional body but the decision taken by the CCI regarding the controversial canals is deeply flawed and procedurally deficient.

Under Article 155(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) is constitutionally empowered to take only the following two actions in response to a complaint concerning interprovincial water disputes:

(1) Render a final and binding decision on the matter; or

(2) Request the President to constitute a Commission, which shall conduct a technical inquiry and submit its findings back to the Council for consideration.

The decision rendered by the CCI in this instance is deeply flawed and procedurally deficient. It neither exercised its constitutional mandate to deliver a final verdict on the complaint—such as declaring the proposed canals contrary to national interest, as urged by the complainant—nor did it invoke its authority to recommend the formation of a Commission under Article 155(2).

Read: Awami Tehreek rejects CCI decisions

Instead, the CCI chose an entirely extra-constitutional path by referring the matter to the Planning Division and IRSA, effectively granting them unfettered discretion to proceed with the project subject to a vaguely defined “consensus.” Even more troubling is the fact that the CCI did not stipulate that the matter must return to the Council for final review or ratification once this so-called consensus is achieved.

This decision appears to be a deliberate abdication of constitutional responsibility. It is redolent of bureaucratic maneuvering and raises serious concerns about malafide intent. It undermines the authority of the constitutional forum, sets a dangerous precedent for future water disputes, and compromises the federal balance envisioned by the Constitution.

It’s just a face saver – the usual method of putting things on the shelf  or just temporary measure to calm things down.  

Read: Temporary Fixes, Permanent Injustice

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Qazi Ali Athar, based in Karachi, is a Public Interest Environmental Law Attorney

The post Canal Issue: CCI Decision is flawed first appeared on Sindh Courier.