For the past two weeks, there have been large -scale protests against the controversial Cholistan Canal Project in Sindh, Pakistan’s southern province, Sindh, which is part of the Army -backed Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI). With the increase in water sharing dispute between Sindh and Punjab, there have been reports of violent protests in many districts, in which the police have detained several protesters.
The aim of this canal project is to irrigate desert land through six major canals (five from Indus and one from India controlled by India)-this has spread wide resentment in Sindh, where the Indus River is already drying up. Critics argue that this step can deepen the water crisis in the area.
The six canal project (from five Indus River and one Indian controlled Sutlej) is being strongly opposed by lawyers, civil society groups and political parties, claiming that it threatens the existence of the lower coastal Sindh.
Violent clashes occurred in Karachi and Kandhakot, when the police tried to remove the protesters blocking the roads in protest against a controversial canal project on the Indus river, resulting in injuries to both protesters and police officers.
In Karachi, protesters set fire to a police van and threw stones, due to which the police had to use tear gas and sticks, while during the protests under the leadership of lawyers against the same project in Kandhkot, the police opened fire and left tear gas shells, injuring many peaceful protesters.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar ordered to take action against those who disrupted law and order and a committee was formed to interact with the protesters, who are demanding cancellation of the canal project citing threat to Sindh’s agricultural lifeline.
Explain that this project was inaugurated in February 2025 by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Army Chief General Asim Munir. It was brought to the public as a $ 3.3 billion plan for irrigation of 4.8 million acres of barren land in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. This area is eight times larger than the size of Goa. However, local people say that this may threaten the water supply and ecology of Sindh.
Historical mobilization in Sindh
This movement, which started as regional protests, has now turned into historical mobilization in Sindh from Karachi to Sukkur. Roads have been blocked, rallies and dharna have been held, and the Sindh Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution demanding stopping construction work.
Sindh, which already gets 20% less water from its allotted part, fears that the flow of water in the Cholistan desert of Punjab will intensify – which is part of the Thar region – which will increase the entry of seawater, increase soil salinness and the ecosystem in the Indus delta will collapse.
JUI-F joined the movement and threatened march in Rawalpindi
Fazal-ur-Rahman’s party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) involved in the protests increased. For more than a week, the party’s Sindh branch has staged a sit -in accusing the Sharif government and the Pakistani army of stealing water under the guise of GPI.
JUI-F Sindh General Secretary Rashid Mahmood Sumro issued a dramatic warning while addressing the excited crowd. It wrote, “If they do not believe in the ghosts of the lolts and tomorrow my Jamaat announced the march, who will go? Pind (Rawalpindi) would have to walk? Will you go to Lahore? Will you have to go to Lahore? Will you have to stop the border?”
India postponed the Indus Treaty after the Pahalgam attack
The crisis on the international front increased further. On April 23, India postponed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, killing 26 people including 25 tourists. India blamed Pakistan -backed terrorists and claimed that the victims were targeted on the basis of their religion.
Although the treaty survived the two wars and hostility of decades since 1960, India’s move to postpone it heavy pressure on Pakistan, which is already paralyzed with internal dissatisfaction.
PPP in trouble: Supported the first project, now he has taken away itself
Protests have also caused political headache for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which initially supported GPI as part of Sharif’s ruling coalition. Now PPP President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who came under the circle of criticism, has taken a U-turn, threatening to withdraw support from the federal government.
Bilawal told The Express Tribune on 18 April, “The people of Sindh have rejected the canal projects, yet the people sitting in Islamabad are blind and deaf to our voices.” He also played the card of India, in which he said, “India’s declaration on the Indus Water Treaty was not illegal, but against humanity … As long as PPP is present, not a single drop of Sindh water will be given.”
Reacting to India’s announcement to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, he said, “India is illegally canceling the treaty under which it had admitted that the Indus river belongs to Pakistan.”
But neither Bilawal’s rhetoric nor the meeting of the Council of Common Interests to be held on May 2 has been calmed.
Project postponed, but protest continues
After India’s IWT ban and continuous protests, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced the postponement of canal construction on 24 April until a consensus was reached at the federal level. However, the protesters refused to soften and demanded a formal cancellation notification citing deep disbelief in both civil and military leadership.
Behind the canal construction campaign: Army’s business empire
The Pakistani Army has massive economic interests at the center of this dispute. The GPI project is reportedly being implemented by a private firm owned by the army, which is part of a huge empire extending to real estate, food, hospitality, logistics, banking and now agriculture. Critics allege that the army is using national resources to fulfill its commercial ambitions at the cost of provincial harmony.