SHC issues stay on IRSA's water availability certificate for canals project

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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), Express News reported on Monday.

The court was hearing a petition questioning the legality of the certificate, which is required for canal construction projects. The bench has sought a detailed response from the federal government by April 18.

The IRSA had earlier approved the water supply for the Cholistan Canal System project, issuing a certificate that allowed the Punjab government to construct the canal, which branches from the Sutlej River at Sulemanki headworks.

However, this move has been contested by Sindh, which has termed it "unfair."

Meanwhile, in a statement today, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro called the court’s order a historic decision. He reiterated the provincial government’s demand to appoint a proper Sindh representative to IRSA and cancel the canal projects.

The canal issue has sparked strong political reactions in Sindh, where local leaders argue that the province’s rights over water are being bypassed.

Protests have erupted across Sindh in recent weeks as opposition to the federal government’s proposed construction of new canals on the Indus River intensifies.

Civil society groups, farmers, and political activists have taken to the streets, warning that the controversial projects could deepen water scarcity in the lower riparian province.

The demonstrations have been fuelled by fears that the planned canals—including the Cholistan Canal—would deprive Sindh of its fair share of water, in violation of the 1991 Water Accord.

Responding to growing public pressure, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution in March rejecting the construction of six new canals on the Indus.

The resolution termed the projects illegal and called on the federal government and the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to immediately halt any related activities.

It further demanded that all provinces, particularly Sindh, be consulted before any such developments, to ensure that their constitutional water rights are upheld.

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.