In Pakistan’s Sindh province, protests have intensified against the construction of six new canals on the Indus River. Lawyers, social activists, and civil society groups have rejected the recent declaration by the Council of Common Interests, which failed to build consensus on the controversial project.

The project, approved by President Asif Ali Zardari in July 2024, was aimed at irrigating vast tracts of previously uncultivable land. However, the move has triggered a political storm, reviving long-standing provincial rivalries. The 176-kilometre-long canal meant to irrigate the Cholistan region in southern Punjab has become the most contested component.

Sindh, being a lower riparian province, has raised serious concerns about worsening water scarcity. Leaders from Sindh accused the federal government of prioritising Punjab’s interests at the cost of 18 million acres of land in their province. They warned that the canals would not only aggravate the water crisis but also endanger the Indus delta by accelerating seawater intrusion and damaging fragile ecosystems.

The protests highlighted the deepening internal rifts in Pakistan’s federal structure and the growing unrest in its provinces over resource allocation. The canal project has also deepened tensions within the ruling alliance. Observers noted that the strong opposition to the project reflected deeper historical grievances in Sindh over Punjab’s political and institutional dominance.