Forget the Indus Waters Treaty: Pakistan Army and Government Face Major Canal Crisis at Home
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) suspension by India is being vehemently contested by Pakistan’s leadership but a more urgent and politically unstable water crisis is developing inside its borders. With the Pakistan Army and Punjab government leading the contentious Cholistan Canal Project, Sindh province has fiercely opposed it, revealing deep internal divisions over water rights, federalism and military influence in civilian affairs.
The Cholistan Canal Project: A Green Dream Supported by the Military:
As a component of the Green Pakistan Initiative the Cholistan Canal Project intends to build six new canals starting in early 2025. By rerouting water from the Indus River, these canals will irrigate approximately 4 to 8 million acres of bare land primarily in Cholistan’s Punjab region. Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif are leading the initiative which seeks to promote corporate farming and boost agricultural output. Because the project disproportionately benefits Punjab and the military while endangering the livelihoods of Sindhi communities downstrea,m it is opposed. Environmentalists caution that changing vast amounts of water could worsen salinity intrusion, endanger biodiversity and destroy the already delicate Indus Delta ecosystem.
Sindhs Uprising: Protests, Legal Challenges and Political Fallout:
The project has caused widespread protests across Sindh and farmers’ political parties and civil society organizations have united in opposition to it. One notable demonstration was the Babri Dharna, where lawyers and activists staged a lengthy sit-in to demand the cancellation of the project. Road blockages caused by the protest disrupted agricultural exports and increased tensions, resulting in clashes and injuries.
Citing violations of the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord, which requires provinces to reach a consensus on changes to water distribution Sindh Provincial Assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the canal project. The national level has seen opposition parties such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) echo these worries and demand a thorough legal and environmental review.
On April 24, 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a temporary suspension of the project in response to growing pressure and formed a committee to address the issues. Still, a lot of demonstrators are dubious, seeing the pause as a calculated postponement rather than a sincere settlement.
External disputes are eclipsed by internal strife:
Pakistani water politics are complicated as evidenced by the internal strife surrounding the Cholistan Canal Project. Even though the federal government condemns India’s actions concerning the IWT, its programs have strained relations between provinces and brought attention to the military’s growing involvement in civilian areas. Significant projects are often decided without sufficient consultation with all stakeholders which breeds mistrust and resistance. This pattern of unilateral decision-making is revealed by the controversy. Given the circumstances, governance must adopt a more inclusive stance that places a higher priority on environmental sustainability and fair resource distribution.
A Call for Equitable Water Governance:
Transparency, inclusivity and adherence to legal frameworks are essential for sustainable water management as Pakistan’s internal canal crisis makes abundantly clear. For the sake of maintaining environmental integrity and national unity, internal conflicts must be resolved with the same vigor as external ones. Maintaining stability and prosperity over the long run will depend on encouraging interprovincial communication and honoring ecological borders as the country works through its water problems.
