पाकिस्तान की नहर परियोजना पर बवाल: सिंध में विरोध, सेना के निर्माण पर सवाल

Quick summary:

• The Pakistani government has launched a $3.3 billion canal network under the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) to irrigate barren land and transform it into fertile agricultural fields.
• Critics argue the project disproportionately benefits Punjab province, leading to fears of water shortages in southern provinces like Sindh due to reduced access to sindhu river resources.
• protests have erupted across Sindh, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), expressing concerns over unfair water distribution and lack of stakeholder consultation. Key leaders, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, have also opposed aspects of the initiative.
• The Cholistani Canal within Punjab is central to GPI’s strategy, with plans for 176 km in length by 2030 at an estimated cost of $783 million; this involves acquiring significant desert land near India’s border for agriculture advancement.

Indian opinion Analysis:
The Green Pakistan Initiative highlights attempts by the neighboring nation to modernize agriculture amidst economic challenges tied to climate change and food import costs ($9 billion in 2023). However, internal disputes regarding equitable resource allocation reveal longstanding complexities in federalism-particularly between Punjab’s dominant position versus other provinces like Sindh reliant on shared river systems for survival needs. Such controversies underscore broader implications for regional stability as essential natural resources become increasingly politicized amidst global climate pressures.

For India, observing this evolving dynamic remains essential given proximity-related interdependencies (such as cross-border hydrological impacts); it also reflects feasible lessons about managing internal state interests while balancing national strategic developmental goals effectively across regions.

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