Maryam Nawaz Revives Cholistan Canals Dispute, Criticises PPP Over Water and Flood Relief

FAISALABAD; Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday reignited the debate over the shelved Cholistan canals project, taking aim at the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for opposing an initiative she insists was Punjab’s rightful claim.

Speaking at the inauguration of an electric bus service in Faisalabad, Maryam asserted that the water intended for the canals belonged to Punjab and its people.
“If Punjab wants to build canals for its water, why should anyone object? This water belongs to Punjab’s farmers and fields,” she said. “I would not have stolen water. It was meant to develop Cholistan by creating new waterways.”

The multi-canal irrigation scheme — announced in February by Maryam alongside Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir — was hailed as transformative for south Punjab but faced strong resistance in Sindh.

The project envisioned six canals, five sourced from the Indus River and one from the Sutlej, designed to irrigate 4.8 million acres of barren land, including Cholistan desert.

Sindh, governed by the PPP, warned the project would deprive it of its due water share and upset the ecological balance. Following weeks of protests and mounting criticism, the federal government suspended the initiative on April 23 pending consensus through the Council of Common Interests (CCI). A subsequent CCI meeting endorsed the suspension until “mutual understanding” among provinces is reached.

Maryam, however, rekindled the matter in her speech, coupling it with fresh criticism of the PPP over flood relief policies. Disagreeing with PPP’s insistence on using the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for distributing aid, she argued the funds were insufficient and rejected suggestions to seek international assistance.

“Keep your advice to yourself,” she retorted. “Punjab never interferes in your matters, so don’t interfere in Punjab’s matters.”

The remarks underscore renewed friction between coalition partners PML-N and PPP, reflecting both the unresolved water-sharing tensions and growing disagreements on handling flood rehabilitation.