HYDERABAD/KARACHI (MNN); The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday staged large-scale rallies across Sindh to protest India’s unilateral attempt to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and its reported plans to divert Pakistan’s share of water from the Indus river system.
Demonstrations were held in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thar, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Shikarpur, Naushahro Feroze, Dadu and several other districts under the slogan “Marsoon Marsoon, Sindhu Na Desoon” (We will die, but we will not give up the Indus), with party leaders declaring that Pakistan’s water rights would be defended at every forum.
Addressing the main rally in Hyderabad, PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had already raised the Indus Waters Treaty issue at international forums and would continue pursuing it until Pakistan’s water rights were fully protected.
The procession began at Shahbaz Building Chowk and concluded outside the Hyderabad Press Club, where senior party leaders, including MNA Tariq Shah Jamot, Waseem Rajput and Aziz Dhamra, addressed participants.
Khuhro said the PPP had always safeguarded Pakistan’s national interests and remained committed to protecting the country’s integrity. He maintained that Bilawal had challenged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the global stage and would continue leading Pakistan’s diplomatic campaign on the water dispute.
He announced that the party would launch a grassroots awareness campaign across Sindh, mobilising people in every town and village to defend Pakistan’s share of the Indus waters.
Reaffirming the PPP’s long-standing position on water issues, Khuhro recalled the party’s opposition to the controversial Kalabagh Dam and reiterated its commitment to provincial autonomy and the equitable distribution of water resources.
He also criticised political parties that, according to him, remained silent over India’s actions while questioning Pakistan’s federal structure.
Another rally on Hyderabad’s Phulelli Road, led by MPAs Ejaz Shah Bukhari and Khurram Karim Soomro, described India’s actions as “water terrorism” and warned that reduced river flows were threatening agriculture, drinking water supplies and accelerating seawater intrusion into the Indus Delta.
PPP leaders also expressed concern over the implementation of the 1991 Water Accord, alleging that Sindh was not receiving its due share of water. They pledged to raise the matter with the federal government.
The protests come amid growing concerns over water shortages in Sindh and Balochistan, where officials have reported reduced water availability affecting irrigation and domestic supplies.
In Karachi, separate rallies were organised by various PPP chapters. Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani led a march from the Sindh Assembly to the Karachi Press Club, while Senator Waqar Mehdi addressed a gathering in Keamari and MNA Sharmila Faruqui led another demonstration in the city’s East district.
Addressing protesters, Ghani described the Indus River as Pakistan’s lifeline, saying it provided drinking water and irrigation to nearly 250 million people.
He maintained that no international law allowed India to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, stressing that any amendment required the consent of both countries.
Referring to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s recent address in Sukkur, Ghani warned that Pakistan would not remain silent if its water rights were violated.
“We are a peaceful nation and believe dialogue is the path to peace,” he said, adding that depriving millions of people of water and food could create a dangerous regional situation.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s military leadership reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the country’s rightful share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty, reiterating that any attempt to stop or divert Pakistan’s allocated waters would be regarded as an act of war in line with the National Security Committee’s policy.
Speaking in Karachi, Senator Waqar Mehdi said India’s attempt to suspend the treaty posed a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
He described the use of water as a political weapon as unacceptable and warned that any effort to block Pakistan’s water share would directly endanger the country’s agriculture, economy, food security and national security.
The PPP leadership reiterated that the party would continue defending Pakistan’s water rights through constitutional, diplomatic and legal channels while mobilising public support across the country.
