New Water Policy and Practice Volume 1, Number 2 - Spring 2015 | Page 56

Water Disputes between Punjab and Sindh: A Challenge to Pakistan

Khaman, Golen Gol, New Bong, Khan Khawar, Duber Khawar, and Pehur high level
(Rizvi 2001). To meet these challenges, prior consultations with the stakeholders and
those who are going to be affected by the upcoming projects would be helpful. The
fates of many such partially completed projects are hanging in the air because the
people of catchment areas are strongly against their commissioning.

Growing militancy in Pakistan is making the Army stronger than the civilian
leadership. The democratization process suffers during the military control of the
state apparatus. As a result, the decisions are being taken in an authoritarian way by
excluding a mass or majority’s interests. This also affects the water-related or waterinfrastructure related decisions.

Finally, political relationship between the two important provinces has to
be improved if water disputes have to be managed between them. The domination
of Punjab has already created a lot of tensions in Pakistan. In 1971, Pakistan lost
its eastern wing due to it, in Balochistan secessionist movement is going on due to
domination of Punjabis over the resources, and in some parts of the country strong
opposition against Punjab has been unequivocal