Central Information Secretary of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Shazia Marri, strongly condemned the opening of the Taunsa-Panjnad (TP) Link Canal at a time when Sindh is grappling with a severe 62% water shortage.
In a press statement issued today, Marri questioned the rationale behind opening the canal, stating, “At a time when Sindh is facing a devastating 62% water shortage, why is the Taunsa Panjnad canal opened?”
She emphasized that link canals like the TP Link were never meant to remain operational year-round. “The link canals were never supposed to be perennial. They could only be opened during the flood season,” she asserted.
Marri warned that opening the canal during a period of acute shortage would further deprive the lower riparian regions of their share and exacerbate the already dire situation. “Opening of the TP Link Canal during a shortage period will further increase the water shortage for the lower riparians and cause more harm,” she said.
Reiterating the PPP’s longstanding position, Marri stated, “PPP has always advocated for a fair and just distribution of water resources among the provinces.” She added that the party has consistently demanded implementation of the 1991 Water Accord and urged IRSA to fulfill its responsibilities accordingly.
“The Sindh Irrigation Department has rightly lodged a strong protest with IRSA over the untimely opening of the TP Link Canal,” she noted.
Calling any diversion of water under the guise of “technical necessity” as unacceptable, Marri said, “Any diversion of water, when one province is suffering such acute shortages, is both unjust and irresponsible.”
“Water is not a political tool—it is a constitutional right,” she stressed, adding that water issues must not be exploited for political point-scoring. “It’s a matter of life and death for us.”
Highlighting the broader impact, she stated, “The lifeline of Sindh’s agriculture, economy, and communities is under threat.”
Marri also criticized the federal government’s silence on the issue, saying, “The Federal Government cannot remain silent to the miseries of people living in federating units.”
“We demand immediate closure of the TP Link Canal and call upon IRSA and the federal government to intervene and ensure compliance with agreed frameworks,” she added.
“The Pakistan People’s Party stands with the people and will not allow any province’s rightful share of water to be stolen,” Marri declared.
In a final critique, she noted the government’s constitutional failure, saying, “Despite its constitutional obligation, this Government has miserably failed to convene a single CCI meeting so far.”
Adding further context, Marri said, “The Pakistan People’s Party has been continuously opposing construction of new canals on River Indus.” She questioned the logic behind such projects during an active water crisis: “When there’s no water in the system and when people are already facing severe water shortage, how would new canals be made?”
Marri concluded by vowing to raise the issue at every relevant forum. “We will raise this issue in Parliament, in IRSA, and in every relevant forum to safeguard Sindh’s water rights and uphold the federation’s integrity,” she affirmed.