The Sindh High Court (SHC) has temporarily halted the water availability certificate issued by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) for the controversial Cholistan and Thal canal construction projects, intensifying the ongoing dispute between the federal and provincial governments.
IRSA had granted the Punjab government approval for the Cholistan Canal project, which is set to draw water from the Sutlej River at Sulemanki Headworks. The project was expected to provide 450,000 acre-feet of water for the Cholistan Canal System. However, the decision has sparked outrage in Sindh, where officials have labeled the move as unfair, arguing it harms the province’s water rights.
The water certificate, issued on January 25, was challenged in court by the petitioner’s lawyer, who argued that IRSA’s formation was illegal. The lawyer also contended that no member from Sindh had been appointed to the body, rendering its decisions unlawful.
During the hearing, the federal government requested additional time to file a response, and the court set a deadline for submission by April 18.
The Cholistan Canal project has become a contentious issue between the Sindh and federal governments. Sindh’s ruling party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has firmly opposed the plan, which aims to build six canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan Desert. Other Sindh nationalist groups and political parties have also staged protests against the proposal.
The project is estimated to cost around Rs211.4 billion and aims to bring 400,000 acres of land under cultivation. However, it has faced staunch opposition from political figures such as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to abandon the project, warning that the PPP may withdraw its support for the government if the project proceeds.
Sindh’s Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah, has vowed that the project will not move forward as long as the PPP remains in power, further escalating tensions between the two governments.
