The provincial caretaker imposed Section 144 on the request of the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP)….reports Asian Lite News
The Sindh government in Pakistan has imposed a 45-day ban on carrying and displaying weapons across the province ahead of the upcoming general elections, as reported by ARY News.
The provincial caretaker imposed Section 144 on the request of the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP).
However, the police, rangers and law enforcement agencies will be exempted from the ban, as well as the registered security guards are also permitted to carry arms on duty, according to the notification issued by the Sindh governnment.
The Station House Officers (SHOs) are directed to register the case in case of violation, ARY News reported.
Notably, the ban was recommended by the police to avoid any untoward incidents in the wake of the elections in Pakistan, the statement said.
The general elections are scheduled to be held on February 8 in Pakistan.
Earlier on Monday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), during a meeting, gave a ‘nod’ for printing 250 million ballots with watermarks for the 2024 general election, as reported by ARY News.
The printing of the ballot papers will be ensured by three printing corporations, according to the sources said.
However, last week, a third resolution seeking a delay in the February 8 polls landed in the Senate, citing the weather and the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as reported by Dawn.
It cited the cold weather and increasing incidents of terrorism in KP as reasons for delaying polls, adding that the increasingly cold weather and snow were not providing a conducive environment for citizens to cast their votes and were also creating challenges for candidates trying to campaign.
Earlier on January 5, the Pakistan Senate passed a resolution seeking to delay the polls due to ‘security concerns’.
Moreover, the resolution was subsequently condemned by politicians and lawyers, who also termed it a “conspiracy against democracy” and asserted that polls should be held on time. (ANI)
Opening up on the plight of Sindhis in Pakistan, Jethmalani said efforts would be made to persuade the Centre to consider providing refuge to people from the community if they face persecution in their homeland.
After Parliament passed two Bills for Jammu and Kashmir, which provide seats for members from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to the provincial assembly following the restoration of statehood, senior advocate and BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani on Thursday affirmed India’s support to Sindhis in Pakistan, assuring assistance in the face of persecution or atrocities.Opening up on the plight of Sindhis in Pakistan, Jethmalani said efforts would be made to persuade the Centre to consider providing refuge to people from the community if they face persecution in their homeland.”We will not interfere with the internal affairs of Pakistan. But if they (Sindhis) are in any trouble, or being persecuted or being subjected to atrocities, we will try to persuade the government to give them refugee status and shelter them here,” the senior advocate added.Earlier. in September this year, the Sindhi Foundation organised a day-long poster campaign in front of the United Nations office in Geneva to make people aware of the plight of Sindhis in Pakistan’s Sindh province.The campaign was held during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.Speaking to ANI, the executive director of Sindhi Foundation, Manawar Laghari, said, “The message is very very clear. Pakistan is a hurdle and is really a curse on the earth. No one is happy. Neither the people living in Sindh, Balochistan or Pakhtunkhwa, Saraikis, Hazaras, Chitrals, Gilgit – all those oppressed people they want to get rid of this country”.”They want freedom from Pakistan and my message to the United Nations is this – we want referendum under the supervision of the United Nations not what the data Pakistan has, especially with the ISI, we don’t believe in that. Under the supervision of the UN referendum to get our independence. This is our very clear message,” he added. (ANI)
Organised at the University of Westminster Harrow Campus, the day long event had attendees descending in London from different parts of the world.
Robust panel discussions and presentations on the challenges of Sindhi community adorned the 35th International Conference on Sindh by World Sindhi Congress recently. Organised at the University of Westminster Harrow Campus, the day long event had attendees descending in London from different parts of the world.
Starting with the panel on British-Sindhi Diaspora, the topics ranged from Mismanagement of Indus Water to Human Rights and Forced Conversions of Sindhi Hindu girls in Pakistan (video presentations), to Self-determination right and global Sindhi alliances. A welcome message was rendered by Fahmida Khushik and Rukshana Bhutto, and introductory lines about the conference and WSC by Hafeezan Wadhio, followed by panel discussions.
Stellar panels included Shahzado Wadhio (Sindhi Sangat UK), Fahmida Khushik (International Sindhi Women Organisation, UK), Faraz Ahmed Khokhar (Sindhi Youth Club, UK), Imdad Odho (Radio Voice of Sindh, London), Ved Luhana (World Sindhi Congress, UK), Chandru Gidoomal (Sindhi Association of UK), Qambar Baloch (Baloch Human Rights Council, UK), Dr Lakhu Luhana (World Sindhi Congress), Prof. Fiona McConnell (Oxford University), representatives of Baloch Movement, Hassan Dost Baloch, Kim Putheaney (Global Human Rights Defence- GHDR, Netherlands), Prof. Rafiq A Chandio (University of Sindh), Prof. Ishtiaq Ahmed (Sweden), Ms Veengas (The Rise News, Sindh), Harris Khalique (Human Rights Commission, Pakistan), Hajan Kalhoro (WSC, Canada), Narayan Bablani (India), Dr Maqbool Halepota (Sindhi Association of America- SANA), and Dr Rubina Shaikh (Chair, WSC). Gul Sanai, Fahmida Khushik, Dr Sagir Shaikh, Farhan Kaghzi, and Dr Hidayat Bhutto have moderated the panels that were thought-provoking.
A minute’s silence was observed to pay respectful tributes to deceased Gul Hassan Kalmati, Raj Kumar Wanjara, Sundar Agnani and Bashir Ahmed Shahani. Poetry for the Soul by Roohi Kalhoro, Harris Khalique & Sami Baloch, and Sindhi Live Music Concert by Pooja Vazirani (India), Alghozo player Nathan Torrence (USA) captivated the attendees. Umed Leghari outlined plans of World Sindhi Congress for the forthcoming year and Fiza Kalhoro presented the conference resolutions.
The participants expressed their resolve that the illegal immigrants would not be allowed to live in Sindh in any situation, it added, as per Dawn…reports Asian Lite News
The Sindh government has decided to set up ‘housing facilities’ in Karachi and Sukkur to lodge illegal Afghan immigrants before their deportation, Dawn reported.
Sources told Dawn that a meeting held at the Sindh home department on Thursday decided to form a high-level committee comprising officials of civil and military representatives to oversee the repatriation of illegal Afghan refugees from Sindh.
As per sources, it was decided that data on illegal immigrants would be collected by the Special Branch of the Sindh police and intelligence agencies would assist the law enforcers in this exercise. As per a statement issued after the meeting, the members of the high-level committee will include the inspector general of Sindh police, the deputy director general of the Pakistan Rangers, an additional IG of the Special Branch, representatives of V Corps, Intelligence Bureau, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), Federal Investigation Agency, the Military Intelligence (MI) and Commissionerate Afghan Refugees.
The participants expressed their resolve that the illegal immigrants would not be allowed to live in Sindh in any situation, it added, as per Dawn. The participants in the meeting decided to meet again on Oct 16 to review the situation.
In an ongoing nationwide crackdown on illegal immigrants, law enforcement agencies have apprehended more than 1,700 Afghan nationals in Karachi for residing without valid documents, Dawn reported.The caretaker Home Minister retired Brigadier Haris Nawaz disclosed this information while also announcing plans for the deportation of all undocumented immigrants living in Sindh. Also on Monday, the Sindh government utilised the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance to detain Noorullah Tareen, the provincial president of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), for 30 days, citing his alleged role in “instigating public disturbances,” according to Dawn.
However, PTM maintained that Tareen was raising his voice against the arrests of Afghan refugees having valid documents. Retired Brigadier Haris Nawaz, addressing the media at the DIG-West office, stated that the government is devising a mechanism to protect registered immigrants from detention, emphasizing that different committees, including SSPs, deputy commissioners, and representatives of various institutions, are being formed to collectively combat illegal immigration, Dawn reported. (ANI)
The latest to leave former premier’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is Ali Zaidi, the President of party’s Sindh chapter, reports Asian Lite News
Joining the list of other leaders, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Ali Zaidi announced on Saturday that he is leaving politics and resigning from party positions, reported Geo News.
Zaidi announced of his resignation from all PTI posts and said in a video message that he had joined politics for Pakistan and had already condemned the May 9 incidents. After much deliberation, the former federal minister made the “difficult decision” to leave politics.
“I’m quitting politics. I’m resigning from my positions of Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh president, core committee member and MNA,” said Zaidi, according to Geo News.
However, Zaidi stated that he will continue to “work for Pakistan and bring investments from abroad” as he did before entering politics.
Following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan on May 9, Zaidi, other top-tier party leaders, and thousands of workers were apprehended. General Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), branded it “Black Day” and threatened to bring all those responsible for the attacks on military sites to trial, reported Geo News.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Ali Zaidi
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday this week announced his resignation from the party saying he has decided “to take a break from politics.”
“In my earlier statement where I unequivocally condemned the 9th May incidents, I have decided to take a break from politics, therefore, I have resigned from the party position and parting ways with Imran Khan,” tweeted Fawad Chaudhry.
Moreover, Asad Umar, the secretary general of PTI, also announced his resignation from all party positions after getting released from Jail, reported Geo News.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shireen Mazari also announced her decision to quit PTI and politics recently.
Mazari’s announcement came after incidents in Pakistan on May 9 and 10 which she strongly condemned. She announced, “From today onwards, I am no longer a part of PTI or any political party.”
Shireen Mazari expressed her commitment to her children and her mother and stressed that they are her top priority at this time, ARY News reported.
Shireen Mazari has been arrested multiple times since the May 9 incidents. After the court ordered her release, She was taken away in a Vigo without a number plate, Dawn reported. Mazari was presented by the police in court in a case related to inciting party supporters in Kharian on May 9. (ANI)
Heavy downpour continued to pummel parts of Pakistan already battered by calamitous floods of epic proportions, unleashing a fresh wave of death and destruction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan and Sindh provinces.
Scores of people died in KP, where heavy rains for the second consecutive day triggered devastating floods in rivers and streams that also swept away several homes near their banks, hotels in hilly resorts, while Balochistan remained cut off from the rest of the country due to fresh rains, The Express Tribune reported.
The KP government declared rain emergency in several districts as flash floods triggered by torrential rains wreaked havoc in most parts of the province, raising the province-wide death toll to at least 238 people, officials said.
They added that rain emergency, which came into effect immediately, would remain in place till August 30 as the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast another spell of monsoon downpour which might continue in the next week, The Express Tribune reported.
Fresh torrential rains pummelled different parts of the province on the second consecutive day.
Heavy downpour in Kaghan Valley triggered flash flood in the Munnawar Nullah that swept away 10 people, according to official data.
More than 10 shops, two hotels and eight vehicles were swept away in Mahandri due to severe flooding in the stream.
A mosque, two schools and a police post were also damaged.
The Kaghan highway was closed for traffic at many places, while people on the Kunhar river banks had moved away to safer places.
Water is life, but in Sindh it breeds death! Water treatment plants in various towns in Sindh draw their raw water from the Indus River, or from canals, depending on their location. The surface water bodies in Sindh are polluted, with the degree of pollution varying from one location to another. This means that the water from rivers, canals and streams in Sindh require adequate treatment to make it safe for drinking … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
WaterAid’s Pakistan Country Strategy for 2010-2015 states that around 50 per cent of the population has adequate access to drinking water and a mere 15 per cent to sanitation.
In terms of availability of water, the worst affected is Sindh province in Pakistan, where only 10 per cent of the land area has fresh groundwater availability. Almost 78 per cent of the province relies on saline groundwater which is not fit for irrigation. As the groundwater is saline in most areas, the rural population is dependent on supplies from the canal system. It is, therefore, not surprising that the province recently witnessed a double whammy in the form of torrential rain and floods as well as protests against the dumping of toxic waste in a reservoir close to a coal power plant. This has led to several households being affected and future generations being put at risk.
A survey carried out by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, informs that out of 1247 surveyed water supply schemes only 529 (42 per cent) were functional in 22 districts of Sindh with an average duration supply of 5 hrs/day. Only 25 per cent of water samples were fit for drinking while the remaining are contaminated with microorganisms and arsenic.
The issue of water contamination in Sindh recently came to the limelight when residents belonging to five villages near the Gorano reservoir (Tharparkar) held a protest at a time when the Chief Minister of Sindh was visiting. The cause of these protests was the dumping of toxic water into the water-waste reservoir.
Protestors at the site claimed that the Sindh government had failed to meet its promises made to the local people. They claimed that their homes and grazing lands for animals had vanished and several residents had become homeless, due to the dumping of highly toxic water from the reservoir. It is clear that toxic water wreaked havoc on the ecology and environment in the area.
Water treatment plants in various towns in Sindh draw their raw water from the Indus River, or from canals, depending on their location. The surface water bodies in Sindh are polluted, with the degree of pollution varying from one location to another. This means that the water from rivers, canals and streams in Sindh requires adequate treatment to make it safe for drinking. Water treatment plants convert contaminated water to safe drinking water. They are designed according to the type of contaminants in the water.
In the case of Gorano, over 500 families were supposedly given an annual compensation of Pak Rs1,00,000 each for a few years, although the Chief Minister had promised to release of compensation funds every year against huge losses suffered by villagers. Locals complained that more and more water was being released in the Gorano waste water reservoir, increasing environmental issues for thousands of the residents, their livestock and wildlife species. They threatened to widen the scope of their protest if their demands were not met.
A story in the Express Tribune shows that the reservoir, a vast body of brackish water, was formed after water discharged from Thar Block-II, where a coal-fired power plant functions and coal mining is undertaken, began accumulating in the area. An area of 2,500 acres was marked for the pond, which was planned to contain the water disposed of. However, the pond covers an area of over 4,000 acres and twelve villages in its surroundings face its hazardous effects.
A water testing report of samples from Gorano, Thar Block-II, issued by the Soil Salinity and Reclamation Institute Tandojam, has declared the water unfit. The report, (17 July 2020) states that the ratio of total suspended solids in stunt water is above 6,000 one part per million (ppm), deeming the water unfit for irrigation. Similarly, a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, (May 2020), informs that Thar will be a major air pollutant and mercury and CO2 emission hotspot in South Asia. At a time when toxic water was damaging people’s livelihoods in one part of Sindh, another part of the province was inundated by floods.
Media reports say that as many as 30 villages were submerged in the Sindh province after flash floods from Baluchistan entered the province, taking the total number of drowned villages to fifty. Torrential rains and flash floods in Baluchistan, caused streams of floodwater to enter in adjacent Qambar-Shahdadkot district and the hilly region of Kachho in Dadu district, causing more losses in different areas. This year, Baluchistan has been the worst affected, where the death toll has reached 150. The recent deaths were reported in Zhob, QillaSaifullah, Kohlu, Naushki and Lasbela areas of Balochistan that endured flash floods.
In Sindh, the village of MasuBhurgri (Hyderabad Taluka) has been in the news recently due to the floods destroying the cotton fields of several farmers. Torrential rains have left fields flooded and cotton crops destroyed. Southern Pakistan has been hit hard by floods after unusually heavy monsoon rains this year. Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of homes have been swept away. Around fifty villages in Sindh were inundated, reported local media, after flash floods from the neighbouring province of Baluchistan flowed over, destroying thousands of acres of agricultural land and orchards. MasuBhurgri has around sixty families, mostly engaging in agricultural work, planting cotton, wheat, and chillies. The region has been suffering from drought for decades and the monsoon rains were always welcome. But this year, it was too much of a good thing and now farmers are at a loss. Rana Shakeel Ahmed, a village elder, described the loss as substantial and said no help from authorities was forthcoming.
A cursory glance at Pakistan’s water situation tells us that conditions are dire and yet successive governments have done little to find effective solutions to the crisis. A Pakistan Institute for Development Economics report on Pakistan’s Water Crisis shows that more than 80 per cent of the country’s population faces “severe water scarcity.” Water availability in Pakistan has plummeted from 5,229 cubic meters per inhabitant in 1962 to just 1,187 in 2017. The question today is not so much when the next crisis will come but how soon. Amidst this gloomy picture, Pakistan’s leaders need to be sensitized to another reality, particularly in Sindh. Water is supposed to give life; instead, it has become the harbinger of death.
A vehicle moves through a flooded street following heavy rain on the outskirts of northwest Pakistan's Peshawar,
A major environmental crisis is looming over Pakistan. The country is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It is ranked 5th among the most affected in the world. Pakistan is facing the adverse impacts of climate change in the form of melting glaciers, floods, shifting weather patterns and droughts … A special report by Salma KouserAsif
Pakistan is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It is ranked 5th among the most affected countries in the world. The country is facing the adverse impacts of climate change in the form of melting glaciers, floods, shifting weather patterns and droughts. Pakistan is also grappling with its worst water crisis and is predicted to suffer from water scarcity by 2040. With rising population only aggravating a fragile situation, the country which was once a water abundant entity is today facing a crisis with acute and frequent droughts. Climate change is likely to further exacerbate this condition.
Recently, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) of Pakistan reported that the per capita water availability in Pakistan has dropped from 5650 cubic meters in 1951 to 908 cubic meters per annum in 2021.
The main source of water to Pakistan is the Indus River system. The entire country predominantly lies in this basin. More than half of the water in the Indus River is supplied by the melting glaciers of the Hindu Kush – Himalayan mountains. However, global warming and the consequent glacier melting are distressing the water resources on the upper Indus Basin, further upsetting the downstream irrigation projects and other water reserves dependent on it. In fact, the fast-tracked ice melting is predicted to increase the frequency of floods and GLOFs (glacial lake outburst floods) in the region, signs of which are already becoming visible. Such environmental effects could be disastrous for Pakistan where more than 80% of the agriculture is supported by the Indus River Basin and is dependent on water accessibility and irrigation systems.
Under such circumstances, the province of Sindh which originally got its name from the Indus River itself (River Sindhu), may be particularly impacted. The province has the second largest population in the country and is the second largest contributor to the country’s economy. It is situated in an intense heat zone and global warming arising out of infrastructure projects in a sensitive ecological region are likely to significantly affect both its population and agriculture. There would be a substantial decline in the production of Kharif crops like maize, rice, sugarcane, millet and cotton which require a lot of water and other water intensive crops like wheat as well. Since the province also provides its vegetable produce to the rest of the country environmental consequences of ecologically unfriendly projects will impact food availability not just in the province but the entire country as a whole. The fishing industry is also prone to being affected adversely.
The Sindh province accounts for around 70% of the total fisheries of Pakistan. The Indus River system includes a total of 19 barrages for the purpose of irrigation, and three of these are located in the Sindh province -Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages. The availability of the famous Hilsa, locally known as Palla has been decimated due to construction of dams and barrages in the upstream of River Indus for diversion of water for the purpose of irrigation. This has resulted in the Indus delta, which was once a breeding place for the Hilsa fish in not receiving enough freshwater for its breeding and spawning. Previously, the fish would travel up to Multan, however with the construction of these barrages, the migration of the Hilsa fish has drastically declined and with the Kotri barrage their spawning area has also been severely reduced.
These risks are bound to be further aggravated by the construction activities being undertaken in the Hindukush Mountain region. As is known, Pakistan is projected to face acute water scarcity. The continued demand for water against the already declining resources could also be a potential cause of concern for Pakistan vis-a vis its neighbours.
This has aggravated the woes of the fishing community in the region. The reduced discharge of the fresh water into the sea is proving to be disadvantageous for the breeding of the fish and shrimp as these species primarily rely on fresh water with low salinity for their growth.
Sindh is also characterized by another famous aquatic entity popularly known as the Indus River dolphins. In fact, the Guddu and Sukkur barrages have the highest density, close to 90% of the total population of the Indus River dolphins. These dolphins being the most endangered river dolphin species in the world with a population of around 1200 have resulted in these barrages being recognized as Indus River dolphin reserves under the Sindh wildlife law. Sadly however, the construction of barrages and dams on the Indus River has substantially brought down the population of these dolphins as their natural habitat has been systemically dented.
Further, the rise in the sea level as a consequence of global warming is causing seawater intrusion (advancing of the seawater to the river canals) in the Sindh coast. The main reason for this kind of intrusion is understood to be the reduced freshwater discharge due to contracted water flows from the Kotri barrage. With the absence of regular supply of freshwater, saline sea water is percolating into the soil & the aquifers making it unfit for consumption by the human and animal populace as well as for crop cultivation. The construction of dykes in an attempt to halt the intrusion of seawater in the coastal belt has also largely failed as seawater continues to escape into the ground aquifers. This has extensively contributed towards the degradation of the land and water resources in the Sindh province. More specifically, the worst affected districts due to sea intrusion are Thatta and Badin districts, inundating about 1.2 million acres of land in the coastal areas. All this has also resulted in forced migration to already burdened cities like Karachi and other urban areas in Pakistan in search of livelihood and means to overcome poverty.
In fact, the Indus Delta being one of the largest deltas in the world is blessed with thick mangrove forests. A beautiful natural phenomenon it is the deposition of water, nutrients and silt carried by the Indus River that sustains these forests. (Waqar Ahmed and Syed Shahid Shaukat, 2015). Home to many migratory birds, wild life and fish species, they also act as a natural windbreaker and give protection against storms.
With the reduced freshwater flow from the Indus River these mangrove forests have drastically reduced in the Sindh province. Traditionally, mangroves have been a valuable resource for the villages situated in the coastal areas as the coastal population is dependent upon them for their livelihood. But with receding mangroves, the situation is fast deteriorating.
There is an immediate need for Pakistan to pay attention to its water management – firstly, to avoid droughts and floods and secondly, to lower the chances of another latent cause of tension in the neighbourhood. How it engages with environmental issues in general, and the CPEC issue in particular is going to be extremely important in the times to come
Contributing to this existential threat of climate change, Pakistan’s foreign policy and developmental trajectory too are adversely influencing the Sindh region and the economic and ecosystem services that it sustains on. For example, the impact of projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has the capacity of snowballing into environmental disasters. Around 75 percent of the newly planned energy projects under CPEC are supported by the coal powered plants (Thar-I and Thar-II coal plants) located in the Sindh Province. Apart from playing a part in increasing the carbon emissions it is also largely responsible for seasonal smog that has been reported in Sindh and the neighboring Punjab province. The situation is likely to further worsen when the coal power plants become fully operational.
It is hardly a secret that the Punjab-backed bureaucrats connive with the IRSA (Indus River System Authority), the regulator of Indus waters in Pakistan and the WAPDA to get more than the approved share of allocated water for their province. As per the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991, 37% water share was settled each for Punjab and Sindh and the rest was to be distributed between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, this accord is continually disregarded, and Sindh faults the Punjab province for not releasing the agreed allocated water share to them. This issue has been perennially plaguing the Pakistani government from more than a decade.
However, irrespective of Sindh voicing out its genuine concerns, the ruling party and politicians at the Centre have largely favoured the Punjab province, when it comes to allocation of fair share of Indus waters, owing to the dominance of this region in the nation’s polity. For instance, in May 2021, the IRSA had suspended the water supply from Mangla dam to the Sindh province citing low water level. Punjab, meanwhile continued to receive water from the Taunsa-Punjnad Canal. Interestingly, the yearly rainfall in the Punjab province is always more than what Sindh receives. Hence the groundwater table of Punjab is not as bad as in Sindh.
Nevertheless, this did not deter the authorities from giving concessions to Punjab. Instead, Sindh continued to suffer from water shortages and no freshwater was released downstream the Kotri barrage which is otherwise extremely vital to preserve the Indus Delta.
Admittedly, the Sindh province that is reeling under the impacts of climate change will be further dangerously impacted by the CPEC projects that are capable of disturbing the balance in the Indus River Basin. The upcoming major CPEC projects in the Sindh Province like the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone, Keti Bandar seaport development project, Karachi Circular Railway have the potential to cause environmental hazards, locally resulting in the cutting of trees and augmenting air pollution. The construction of large dams in the province is already being opposed by the people of Sindh. Thus, unless and until the principles of environmental sustainability are applied to the CPEC projects, there is a great risk to the climate and ecosystem balance of the place.
These risks are bound to be further aggravated by the construction activities being undertaken in the Hindukush Mountain region. As is known, Pakistan is projected to face acute water scarcity. The continued demand for water against the already declining resources could also be a potential cause of concern for Pakistan vis-a vis its neighbours. There is an immediate need for Pakistan to pay attention to its water management – firstly, to avoid droughts and floods and secondly, to lower the chances of another latent cause of tension in the neighbourhood. How it engages with environmental issues in general, and the CPEC issue in particular, is going to be extremely important in the times to come.
