Pakistan halts major canal project amid Indus treaty turmoil, domestic unrest

Pakistan has halted the contentious Cholistan canal irrigation project until a consensus is reached within the Council of Common Interests (CCI), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Thursday (April 24), following weeks of growing domestic resistance and a deteriorating regional water-sharing arrangement.

The decision comes in the wake of India holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance — an alarming escalation that had so far not been seen despite four wars and terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama.

It also follows rising internal discord, particularly from Sindh, which has accused Pakistan’s Punjab of attempting to monopolise water resources at the expense of downstream provinces.

At the core of the controversy is the Cholistan irrigation initiative, an ambitious scheme aimed at greening the arid lands of South Punjab. Inaugurated by Army Chief Gen Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on February 15, the project triggered immediate backlash, including from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition ally, and widespread protests across provinces.

During a press conference alongside PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday, Sharif acknowledged the gravity of the situation.

“Today, we decided in the meeting between the PPP and PML-N with mutual agreement that until a decision is reached with mutual consensus in the CCI, no further canal will be constructed and the federal government has decided that there will be no further progress on canals without the consensus of opinion among provinces,” he said, according to a report by Dawn .

India’s IWT gambit escalates stakes

The domestic turmoil has been sharply compounded by India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. Long considered a cornerstone of South Asian water diplomacy, the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty has withstood multiple wars and political breakdowns. India’s move to hold the treaty in abeyance— amid broader diplomatic downgrades and border closures— has sent shockwaves through Islamabad.

India’s latest posture is in response to a the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people .