HYDERABAD: Sindh United Party (SUP) president Syed Zain Shah has demanded the resignation of the Sindh government for allegedly surrendering the autonomy and wealth of Sindh to the federal government.

He accused President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of bargaining away Sindh’s resources in exchange for power through an unconstitutional arrangement of resource distribution under the NFC in the recent budget.

Speaking at a press conference at the local press club on Friday, Mr Shah said that under the 7th NFC Award, the provinces received 57.5 per cent (pc) and the federation 42.5pc, but this formula had been altered in the recent budget when the Sindh chief minister surrendered provincial resources to the federation.

He also referred to the presidential nod of July 8, 2024 for six strategic canals, including the disputed Cholistan canal and its system, which had led to agitation in Sindh before the project was temporarily halted.

He stated that funds through the National Economic Council (NEC) were surrendered unconstitutionally by the Sindh government for three years. He termed it a dacoity over Sindh’s wealth, for which President Asif Zardari, his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the Sindh government were responsible.

He said Rs862bn had been taken away by the federal government. The provinces had given Rs1.2tr to the federation, including Rs300bn from Sindh, noting that the NEC could not take such extra-constitutional decisions. “It is being said that these finances will be spent on defence and water projects, including strategic dams as well as canals by the federation,” he claimed.

He argued that, on the one hand, grants were illegally taken away from the provinces, and if these finances were spent on water projects, then Sindh was bound to suffer. The SUP believed the PML-N and the PPP had agreed to a bargain over provincial autonomy, the NFC Award, and the 18th amendment. “Doesn’t it warrant invoking Article 6?” he asked.

He stated that the total finances of the levy, surplus, and grants amounted to Rs3.662bn, which should have been included in the NFC Award to ensure development in the provinces. He demanded the restoration of the NFC Award, warning that a 30pc cut in Sindh’s development portfolio would spell disaster, considering the fact that 70pc of existing allocations were stomached in the name of commission and bribes.

He noted that Sindh’s total budget involved Rs3.56tr, with no new scheme included in FY 2026-27. He stated that the allocations for ongoing schemes, which were worked out at Rs720bn, would now get Rs520bn – down by 29pc.

The SUP chief alleged that the PPP leadership had agreed to strategic water projects, including the Cholis­tan canal and its system.

He told a questioner that the PPP leadership had agreed to strategic projects in the NEC during briefings by Wapda. He disclosed that these projects included a dam over the Chenab river that would feed the Cholistan area, which was actually to be fed from the Sutlej river, though this river did not have any flows. The Cholistan canal and its system had been designed accordingly.

On the other hand, he said, the Chenab river has limited flows to meet the demands of its existing upper command area, with the result that its lower command area would receive water from the Taunsa-Panjnad (TP) and Chashma-Jhelum (CJ) link canals over the Indus river, and through the RQBS link (Rasul-Qadirabad-Balloki-Sulemanki).

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2026