Khuhro resents Irsa move to drastically slash Sindh’s water share

LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has lodged a strong protest with the federal government over the Indus River System Authority’s (Irsa) decision to impose a 27 per cent water shortage exclusively on Sindh during the Kharif season.

Khuhro criticised the decision for maintaining zero cuts for Punjab, while continuing the release of 25,500 cusecs from the Indus River into the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal and Tunsa-Panjnad Link Canal.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Khuhro condemned Irsa ‘s actions as a direct violation of the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 and demanded that the prime minister take immediate notice of what he described as the deliberate “economic destruction” of the lower riparian province.

Mr Khuhro pointed out that under the 1991 water accord, Sindh requires over 80,000 cusecs of water at the Guddu Barrage during the Kharif season. However, as of Tuesday, only 65,304 cusecs had been released — a significant shortfall at a critical time for standing crops.

Terms decision ‘economic massacre’ of province’s people

He further highlighted that 11,900 cusecs were being diverted to the Jhelum–Chenab zone via the Chashma–Jhelum Link Canal and another 9,000 cusecs through the Taunsa–Panjnad (TP) Link Canal. This amounts to a combined diversion of 20,900 cusecs from the Indus water, he argued, should be reaching Sindh’s agricultural fields. “The Jhelum–Chenab zone can be supplied through the Mangla Dam, yet water is being stored there instead of being released to Sindh’s farmers who urgently need it,” Khuhro stated.

Khuhro described Sindh as a major contributor to the national economy, producing 5.5 million tonnes of rice annually and generating $1.4 billion in rice exports. Cutting the province’s water share during Kharif, he argued, amounted to an “economic massacre” of the downstream province.

“Sindh produces 67 per cent of the country’s agricultural output, yet it is being deprived of its rightful water share,” he said.

The PPP leader also questioned the federal government over an alleged overlap of authority, noting that while water distribution is legally Irsa’s mandate, it appears to be operating at Wapda’s discretion — primarily to sustain power plant operations. He called on Islamabad to clarify which body actually holds control over water distribution. “Despite a continuous water supply to power plants, the country still faces an electricity shortfall. What, then, is the justification for sacrificing Sindh’s crops?” he asked.

Mr Khuhro tied the water crisis to the country’s broader fiscal challenges, noting that the FBR’s tax collection shortfall already stands at Rs3.2 trillion. Undermining the agricultural sector — a key contributor to national revenue — would only widen that gap, he warned, urging the federal government to support agriculture rather than neglect it.

He demanded that the prime minister intervene immediately to ensure Sindh receives its legal water share under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026