• Murad says Punjab govt not yet begun work on Cholistan Canal.
• Dismisses claims that President Zardari approved project.
• Urges PM to reject project unless consultation carried out by CCI.

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has asserted that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has the strength, capability, and authority to stop the Cholistan project, emphasising that this power will be used if necessary.

“We are prepared to go to any lengths to protect the rights of Sindh, which I describe as the rights of the people of Pakistan,” the provincial chief executive said while speaking to journalists at the Chief Minister House on Saturday.

He added that the voice of the people of Sindh has been heard, and as a result, the Punjab government has not utilised the allocated Rs45 billion for the construction of the Cholistan Canal.

CM Murad stated that the opposition wants the PPP to remove the federal government, but the party will not follow their agenda. He mentioned that, at the request of the Sindh government, work on the Cholistan Canal has not yet begun. Additionally, he noted that a small model has been developed to showcase to potential investors.

The chief minister said that canal projects typically begin upstream, but when his team visited the site in February, no work was being carried out. “I instructed the team to visit a canal near the Indian border. When they went there, they found that no work was happening.”

Shah noted that Pakistan is facing acute water scarcity. He pointed out that from 1999 to 2024, the Tarbela Dam has only reached full capacity for 17 days in 25 years, while the Mangla Dam has filled for just four days.

He questioned, “If we are unable to fill our dams, how will we be able to sustain the new canals proposed by the federal government?”

The chief minister said that the estimated cost of this project was initially Rs218 billion, which has now likely increased to Rs225 billion, and upon further examination, the cost may rise even more.

“According to the original project plan, a dam was supposed to be constructed in Chiniot, which was a $3 billion project,” he said, adding that the Punjab government had stated in the Rs218 billion PC-1 that they would spend Rs45 billion in the first year. However, not a single penny has been utilised so far.

Murad warned that the Cholistan canal project poses a threat not only to Sindh but also to the entire nation, which is why three provinces—Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—have already expressed their opposition to it.

Providing historical context, the CM noted that the idea of developing Cholistan with irrigation canals dates back to 1919 but was rejected by the British.

He explained that during the caretaker government’s tenure, the Punjab government sought a no-objection certificate (NOC) for water allocation from the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), claiming there was sufficient water flow. However, he countered that the actual water flow has significantly decreased over time.

Shah highlighted that from 1976 to 1999, the average downstream flow at Kotri had already dropped significantly, and by 2023, it had continued to decline. He questioned the justification for additional water allocation to Punjab, stressing that Sindh’s resources are already under strain.

The CM dismissed claims that President Asif Ali Zardari had approved the project, stating that project approvals lie within the jurisdiction of the relevant government bodies and require provincial consensus.

He clarified that the Sindh Assembly has passed a resolution against the project, with both the PPP and opposition parties united in their opposition.

Calling upon Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reject the project unless a proper consultation process is followed, Shah reiterated that the final decision lies with the federal government and the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which has yet to convene on the issue.