WEBDESK: The Sindh High Court has barred the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) from issuing certificates regarding the availability of water for canal construction on the Indus River and has summoned a response from the federal government by April 18.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a stay order halting the construction of canals following a challenge to the water availability certificate issued by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), on Monday.
The court was hearing a petition against IRSA’s issuance of certificates concerning the construction of canals on the Indus River and the availability of water. During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer stated that no federal member of the Sindh government or IRSA was present. Therefore, the water distribution certificate issued by the regulator is illegal.
The lawyer informed the court that IRSA had issued certificates on January 25 for canal construction in Cholistan and Thar. During the hearing, the Sindh High Court ordered IRSA to stop issuing certificates for these canal projects, while the federal government requested additional time to submit its response.
The court issued a stay order against the issuance of further certificates and has asked the federal government to submit its reply by April 18. It is important to note that earlier this week, several protests were held by local communities across different regions of Sindh against the extraction of canals from the Indus River.
The protests included participation from civil society groups, farmers, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other political activists. They argued that the project would lead to an even greater water shortage in Sindh.
Sindh’s Minister for Irrigation, Jam Khan Shoro, has called the court’s ruling historic. He urged the provincial government to appoint a representative to address the issue of canal construction from the Indus River and to demand the federal government to cancel the project.
Reinforcing the province’s stance, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued a strong rebuke to the federal government during a rally in Larkana. He warned the Centre to “back off” from the canal projects, calling them a threat to national unity and Sindh’s livelihood.
Bilawal reminded the crowd of his party’s historical opposition to similar projects, including the Kalabagh Dam, and reiterated the PPP’s commitment to water justice and inter-provincial harmony.
Read more: Nationwide farmers protest set for April 13
