Chief justice takes suo motu notice of water shortage across the country

E-Paper | March 18, 2026

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday took suo motu notice of water shortage and its lack of supply throughout the country.

On June 7, the Supreme Court will hear cases regarding water shortage in the capital, while the apex court's Karachi and Lahore registries will hold hearings on June 9 and 10, respectively. The chief justice will also hear cases related to water issues in the Peshawar and Quetta registries.

The SC issued notices to top officials from the Capital Administration and Development Division as well as the attorney general, advocate general, and others, and demanded an explanation regarding the water shortage in the capital.

Justice Nisar was heading a three-member SC bench that was hearing a 20-year-old petition filed by Barrister Zafarullah, a senior lawyer from Lahore, concerning the Kalabagh dam. He had argued that 20 per cent of Pakistan's growth rate depended on water supply, yet no dam had been built in the country for the past 48 years.

The CJ replied that water shortage is now the "top priority" of the court and took a suo motu notice of the matter. Justice Sardar Tariq Masood regretted that none of the political parties had taken the water issue seriously enough to include it in their manifestos.

Expressing concern over the dam built on the Kishanganga River by India as part of its Kishanganga hydropower plant project, the chief justice said that the Neelum River, which is a tributary of the Indian river, has dried up.

"What have we done for our children if we can't even provide them water?" he remarked.

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Jawad

Jun 04, 2018 06:59pm

About time. Spend your time on this rather the other temporary issues!

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Orakzai

Jun 04, 2018 07:01pm

PML-Q,PML-N,PPP have brought destruction to country. They have filled their pockets and bank accounts and did nothing for the country. So, now we have to fight for water with each other.

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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan

Jun 04, 2018 07:04pm

Everything is directly or indirectly related to incompetence of the corrupt to the core PML-N and PPP governments we had for the last ten years. What we need to ensure is that we have a an electoral system that would ensure only trustworthy people reach the parliament. Unfortunately I see a lot more suo moto notices with the flawed electoral system we have at the moment.

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nam

Jun 04, 2018 07:09pm

Though court may not be able to do much on this issue, yet I hope the awareness of this at the highest level will initiate actions at all levels and hopefully the country will be able to come up with a long term multiple solutions and hope and pray will avoid the looming crisis of unthinkable consequences.

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nam

Jun 04, 2018 07:12pm

Neelam Jehalam perhaps started construction years ago, the government and related institutions were sleeping on this. Did not know the consequences. Is it ineptness or collusion with foreign friend?

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Magnanimous approach

Jun 04, 2018 07:38pm

The Apex Court has taken the right notice, simultaneously it would be wonderful if SC may please call top civil engineers and ask them to prepare feasibility reports on Dams Building on war footing. As the rivers are drying, The whole nation will praise SC and it will be historical if Dams Constructions are initiated in SC Orders. Today people have great expectations from SC.

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mushtaq

Jun 04, 2018 07:48pm

Good step for future generations

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Naeem

Jun 04, 2018 07:52pm

As as long as we have Shareefs in Power, we can see some roads and trains, but no water or dams....this is a work of a visionary leader, who can put nation's interests over his own cheap publicity..... Pakistan is getting crushed with the burden of debt and scarcity of water and 95% of blame goes to the Shareef family....

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Imran

Jun 04, 2018 08:02pm

Bravo CJP.

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Nawaz

Jun 04, 2018 08:09pm

Good development. If political parties had the will they could have developed a consensus on the Kalabagh dam. CJ should also summon the leading experts who have worked on the Kalabagh dam project in the past to fully understand the issue. General public need to know whether politicians have been fooling the them about the issue or there are genuine concerns of the provinces? An independent commission under a SC judge to investigate the issue with the help of expers and put forward recommendations would be a good idea.

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Aamir

Jun 04, 2018 08:15pm

Sir please first complete earlier taken suo motu notices.

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Dr.M.S.Awan

Jun 04, 2018 08:17pm

Thank you CJP for taking notice of water shortages in Pakistan.I have pleaded several times for many years that we need two more big dams for electricity generation and water storage.We are basically Agricultural country and this sector alone contributes 26% of our GDP.But our politicians have neglected this sector for 46 years.It is about time dams become our top priority.

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optimist

Jun 04, 2018 08:50pm

Dear CJ. Appreciate your concern. The Rangers are in Karachi since 1992, they have done a good job but why they haven't visited the hydrant in Karachi who are stealing peoples water and selling it back to the people of karachi at a cost. The hydrant owners have approx. 15,000 water tankers for this job.

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A shah

Jun 04, 2018 08:56pm

This is only going to get worse.

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naji

Jun 04, 2018 09:00pm

It is good and appreciating that CJ is so much interested in public matters. But on the ground, since all these action, water supply reduced to 30% and water tanker prices jumped to Rs 5500 from 3500 in 2 months. This is for 3000 gallon tanker, also water is mixed with dirt and ground water.

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naji

Jun 04, 2018 09:02pm

I am talking about DHA Ph V, karachi water supply situation.

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Winter

Jun 04, 2018 09:11pm

Stupid suo moto action. He should instead ask the authorities to build dams

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Socrates

Jun 04, 2018 09:22pm

An extremely timely and laudable move by the Chief Justice. Water scarcity is now assuming dangerous proportions. Even the capital Islamabad still with a small population is suffering from acute water shortage. The Chief Justice is requested to take relevant officials to task and tell them to ensure water supply to residents.

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Mahmood

Jun 04, 2018 09:23pm

The country is over 70 years old. THis is not a new phenomena. Yet only the CJP has taken notice. Not the PM in the just ousted government, not the previous PPP governments, and not the Governors of either provinces. Something is inherently wrong with the entire setup in the country, where the government fails to do its job of providing basic services to the public including amenities like Electricty, Water, Gas, Transportation, Roads, Bridges, Security. Medical Care and Education. These are fundamentail rights of all citizens. Yet only a CJP newly appointed to his post, in the first time in the history of Pakistan has finally noticed people are thirsty! I hope in the next 5-10 years, someone at the Supreme Court will also start addressing contaminated food and lack of aforementioned facilties around the country - before it is too late.

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M. Asghar

Jun 04, 2018 09:24pm

The water shortage problem in the country has already become existential in its magnitude and due to the fast developing tipping points in the climate dynamics, it is going to get even worse.

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Ahmed

Jun 04, 2018 11:11pm

CJ sahib. Please take notice of things which are possible during your tenure and take it to logical conclusion. Also see what is happening in our judicial system.

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Qamar zaman

Jun 04, 2018 11:22pm

we need dams, But our illiterate politicians are quarreling among themselves.

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M. Saeed

Jun 04, 2018 11:50pm

Since last 14 years, I have been writing to all Federal and Provincial Governments of Punjab and Sindh that, there is a clear solution for water shortages for the next 500 years, rotting in archives, but not even a lice crawls on any valued ear. I therefore request the Caretaker Prime Minister who is also a former CJP, to take notice of my request and get the solution out of the deep storage for immediate action. There is no tomorrow for this golden opportunity.

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Mohajir

Jun 04, 2018 11:52pm

Don't we need money to build more dams to store Water?

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Neo

Jun 05, 2018 12:12am

All thanks to Jiyai Bhutto, qadam barhao Nawaz Sharif and clueless dictators.

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jaredlee67

Jun 05, 2018 12:13am

So, will he take any action or just a sou moto notice?

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Global Peace

Jun 05, 2018 12:16am

last 48 years no dam is built .. that says all.

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Hassan S

Jun 05, 2018 12:50am

More than this - we the people should also start a water shortage awareness campaign. In these times, we need to take actions @ federal and provincial level. We need to conserve water in homes, land. Stop irrigating home lawns with potable water etc etc. And ofcourse we absolutely need to build dams on an emergency basis.

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Isra

Jun 05, 2018 01:01am

The fact of the matter is that the leaders of the nation are only interested in short term fixes ignoring the ground realities, that is turning into maga problem or problems. No leader or the political party wants to spend on projects that can not be completed in their tenure. Average voter does not see such looming issues until it hit them. Media at large does not care to ask such hard questions to any party leadership to address such issues. Perfect recipe to keep the nation under developed.

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Syed Anjum Ali

Jun 05, 2018 01:05am

This is a major long term environmental issue that people have been bringing to the notice of successive governments since the 1970s and 1980s. No one paid any attention and now crisis time is here. Why blame the Indians only? We are all responsible for wasting water at individual level.

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Talha

Jun 05, 2018 01:47am

If every decision cjp will take then no use to do elections

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Jun 05, 2018 02:58am

It is clear and obvious that among the upper echelons of our system, it is ONLY the Chief Justice who is well in tune with the priorities in terms of what the public wants and needs. Those who claim to be the public representatives and those politicians who are demanding "respect for vote", are oblivious to the needs of the people and have shown no respect to the voters. In my view, it is the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan who is practically giving respect to the public. Thank you Sir.- you are the best and the most courageous Chief Justice in the history of Pakistan

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Sabir Pakistani

Jun 05, 2018 02:59am

Pakistan don’t have money to build dams. The country will soon run out of water unless government build dams and storage water. India built so many dams in IOK and Pakistan is can’t build even one dam. Shame

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R. Khan

Jun 05, 2018 04:28am

No doubt dams should be constructed which will take time.There should be a high power department to stop waste of fresh water, contamination of sub soil sweat water and recycle of waste water for use in irrigation, foresting, gardening and fish farming. While planning cities there should be around green belt for the use of recycled waste water. This issue of contamination of under ground water, wastage in irrigation is as important as construction of dams.

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Dawn read since 02

Jun 05, 2018 05:59am

Most important case of all. A couple of year ago pmlQ launched a khala bhag and pagani campaign. Due to their unpopularity the movement didnt get far, but I hope with CJP Saqib Nisar it reaches a fruitful conclusion

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helloWorld

Jun 05, 2018 07:20am

"no dam had been built in the country for the past 48 years" - mind boggling

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Alia Khan

Jun 05, 2018 07:35am

CJP should order the army to take all necessary actions to safeguard Indus Water Treaty. War is being imposed by India and US ; and we Pakistani welcome it. We will get our water or India is ours. Ghazal-e-hind

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Dove

Jun 05, 2018 08:50am

Barrister Zafar is wrong, Gomal Zam Dam was completed in 2013.

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Mrs.khalil

Jun 05, 2018 08:51am

Hundreds of suo motu actions , since past so many years , from packed milk to fake doctors and clinics, what is the out come . Not a single issue is resolved. Something concrete should be done to solve the problems of Pakistan.

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Syed Ahmed

Jun 05, 2018 09:02am

CJ, you have taken suo motu notice of a number of things in the last few months. While the dispossessed masses are happy to learn that somebody somewhere has heard their plaintive cry but since there has been no real action on the ground on your previous suo motu notices the hope and value attached to your suo motu notices / actions have diminished. Ground water in most areas of Punjab, is laced with toxic chemicals because of the stupidity of our rapid industrialization process which totally disregarded the environmental impact. So installing tube wells all over Punjab is not an option. The matter is compounded because India controls or at least has the potential to control the headwaters of our rivers and therefore while we must engage India on the water issue we must also think about other avenues - desalination plants among them. Water is a serious matter, more important even than Food Security, because our ability to produce food is dependent on the availability of water.

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Asad

Jun 05, 2018 09:25am

@Alia Khan You and your leaders slept for the last 10 years and now you have this comment to make! Really?

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