KARACHI: Lawyers have warned the federal government that they would initiate protests if the planned construction of canals in Cholistan was not stopped within a week.

Their leadership also demanded that the federal member of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) from Sindh be immediately appointed in order to make the composition of the authority in accordance with law.

The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) had on Friday organised the All Pakistan Lawyers and Stakeholders Convention on the issue of canals project. It was presided over by SHCBA president Barrister Mohammad Sarfaraz Ali Metlo.

A resolution was adopted during the convention which further demanded from the federal government to rescind all decisions about canals which were affecting Sindh as the same were also in violation and contempt of superior judiciary’s orders.

SHCBA urges provincial assemblies to pass resolutions against controversial scheme

The event was also attended by the president of Supreme Court Bar Association, Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta, SHCBA vice president Naeem Qureshi, High Court Bar Association Hyderabad president Ayaz Tunio, Balochistan High Court Bar Association president Mir Attaullah Langoo, Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad Bench, president Sardar Aman Khan, High Court Bar Association Sukkur president Qurban Ali Malano, High Court Bar Association Mirpurkhas president Mir Pervez Talpur and Malir Bar Association president Irshad Ali Shar.

Besides, vice president of SHCBA Muhammad Rahib Lakho and the leadership and representatives the Sindh Bar Council as well as district bar associations of Sindh, including Karachi, Sukkur, Dadu, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Kambar-Shahdadkot were also in attendance.

The resolution said that Water Acord 1991 and Irsa Act 1992 needed to be amended in order to subject all upstream water schemes to the consent and approval of lower riparian province, Sindh, as provided under the Sindh Punjab Water Agreement 1945.

The Irsa is comprised of five members, one each from every province and federal member to be appointed from lower riparian province of Sindh as per law, it added.

It also maintained that the improperly and illegally constituted Irsa had issued the Water Availability Certificate on Jan 25 for construction of canals on the Indus River.

It stated that after the reconstitution of Irsa as per law, it must cancel the water availability certificate while CCI’s meeting may be called to deliberate on the issues of illegal composition of Irsa and issuance of water availability certificate despite the objection of Sindh.

“The federal government must issue the notification within one week, cancelling the construction of six canals on Indus River, failing which, the legal fraternity will initiate protests including the blockage of motorway on April 18, 2025 after Friday prayers,” it added.

It was also resolved that the SHCBA will file a petition in the Sindh High Court against the construction of these canals on Indus River and urged all the four provincial assemblies to pass resolutions against construction of these canals.

The participants unanimously endorsed and approved this resolution as well as the earlier one issued by the SBC on March 5 on the subject issue, it concluded.

During the event, SBC vice chairman Shafqat Rahim Rajut has announced that legal proceedings will remain suspended across the province on Saturday (today).

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2025