By Abdullah Usman Morai

Water as Lifeline, Water as Battlefield

Throughout history, civilizations have risen and fallen along the banks of rivers. From the Nile to the Tigris, from the Yangtze to the Amazon, water has given birth to empires and cultures. But in the 21st century, water has become more than just a source of life—it has become a cause for conflict, a tool of power, and, tragically, a weapon of oppression.

In South Asia, no river carries more historical, emotional, and spiritual weight than the Indus River. It is not just a waterway—it is the soul of Sindh. It whispers stories of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, nurtures wheat fields and date palms, and sustains generations of farmers, laborers, artisans, and dreamers. But today, that very river stands at the center of a storm—a storm of inequality, injustice, and existential dread.

As upstream and midstream provinces push forward with controversial canal constructions, without a consensus or environmental assessment, Sindh is sounding the alarm. But the cries seem to echo into a void.

The Silent Theft: Canals That Choke a Civilization

In the heart of this crisis lies a simple yet devastating truth: water meant for Sindh is being siphoned off upstream, leaving behind dry fields, cracked soil, and shattered futures. Despite the Constitution, despite interprovincial water accords, and despite the fundamental principles of fairness, illegal canals are being carved from the Indus River.

What’s unfolding isn’t just a political dispute—it’s a human tragedy in the making. One that touches every corner of Sindh, from Thatta’s fishing villages to Jacobabad’s barren lands.

Read: ‘Our water has been taken hostage’

The reaction from the people has been swift, impassioned, and unrelenting. Lawyers in black suits, journalists with cameras and pens, traders who depend on agricultural markets, students whose education is at risk, mothers who fear for their children’s hunger—they’re all standing together in the blistering heat. Protests are swelling across cities and rural towns. Voices are rising. The slogans are fierce, the resolve even fiercer.

But the question on every tongue is hauntingly simple: Why is no one listening?

Sindh’s Cry: A Matter of Survival, Not Politics

Sindh’s economy, its heritage, and its future are rooted deeply in agriculture. The rhythm of life here follows the flow of the Indus. When it is abundant, the people thrive. When it recedes, they suffer. When it is taken, they fall into crisis.

The construction of these canals threatens to unbalance this fragile harmony. If Sindh is deprived of its fair share of water:

• Farmers will be forced to abandon their fields, unable to sow or harvest.
• Children may be pulled out of schools, as families sink deeper into poverty.
• Daughters’ marriages may be delayed or canceled, breaking hearts and customs.
• Healthcare will become a luxury, as clean water becomes scarce and diseases rise.
• Unemployment and hunger will push people towards crime, not by choice, but by necessity.

It’s not just water being taken. It’s dignity, dreams, and decades of hard work.

This isn’t alarmism—it’s a real and present danger. And yet, the construction machines move forward, undeterred. Decisions are made in cold offices, but their consequences are felt in burning villages.

The Spiritual and Ethical Crisis

Let us not forget: this is not merely an issue of policy. This is a moral and spiritual dilemma.

In Islam, to rob someone of their basic rights—to snatch from the poor what sustains them—is not just haram—it is sinful on a level that touches the very soul of a nation. And when it comes to water, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself emphasized that water is a shared blessing, not a hoarded possession.

What is being done today, under the pretext of development or provincial privilege, is nothing short of a slow, calculated suffocation of an entire people’s future. This is not development. This is death by policy.

A United Resistance: From Sindh to the World

One of the most powerful outcomes of this injustice has been the solidarity of Sindhis across the province and beyond. For once, political lines are blurred. From peasants in Khairpur to professionals in Karachi, from elders in Larkana to students in Hyderabad, and even to diaspora Sindhis abroad, there is unity, there is a voice, and there is fury.

They may not hold power in Islamabad. But they hold the moral high ground, and the courage to raise their voices in 50°C heat is proof enough of how deep their wounds are.

Sindh is not asking for charity. It is demanding justice.

Conclusion: A Future That Flows Equally

Pakistan’s strength lies in its unity, in its diversity, in its ability to hold together its provinces like siblings under a single roof.

To those in power, listen before injustice turns into irreversible collapse. What use is national pride if its lifelines are drained dry? What kind of patriotism builds canals for one province and droughts for another?

The Indus must flow for all. Let it not become a river of rage and resentment.

Let wisdom prevail. Let compassion guide decisions. Let the Indus remain not a boundary line between the privileged and the oppressed, but a shared lifeline—a flowing testament to unity, justice, and peace.

Stop the canals. Start the conversation. Let every province live with dignity. Let Sindh live.

Read: Rising through Rumi’s Wisdom

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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.

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