Challenges mount for incomplete Indus River System Authority ahead of water moot
• Absence of members from Sindh raises concerns over body’s composition for upcoming meeting to determine water availability
• Federal member from province yet to be appointed despite legal requirement
HYDERABAD: The Indus River System Authority’s (Irsa) Advisory Committee (IAC) will meet on April 7 to determine river water availability for the upcoming Kharif season, in the absence of a regular Sindh member and a full-fledged federal member from the province in the body. On the face of it, Irsa appears incomplete, contrary to requirements.
“We have not received nominations from the ministry for a regular Sindh-domiciled federal member and Sindh’s member in Irsa,” said Irsa Director Operations Khalid Idrees Rana told Dawn on Sunday.
Sindh’s member in Irsa, Mohammad Ehsan Leghari, resigned on Nov 19, 2025 after joining the Sindh government’s Planning and Development Department as member (water). His resignation has yet to be accepted by the federal water resources ministry, even after more than five months, as it must be sent to the federal cabinet for approval.
Sindh proposed Shafqat Wadhu, a retired chief engineer of the irrigation department, on Jan 28, 2026. His nomination has not been approved by the federal cabinet. It is unclear whether the ministry has forwarded the proposal or if it is still pending. Mr Leghari, however, will attend the April 7 IAC meeting.
Another contentious issue for Sindh is the appointment of a federal member from the province in the water regulator. The matter remains pending for unexplained reasons, although both summaries were to originate from the water resources ministry.
“It appears the ministry has not forwarded Wadhu’s summary to the cabinet,” said an official.
A Sindh-domiciled federal member has not been appointed in Irsa for the past 16 years, with the position usually held by Punjab-domiciled officers, in deviation of the law mandating such an appointment from Sindh.
Legal requirement
Bashir Ahmed Dahar was the last federal member from Sindh, serving from Oct 2007 to Oct 2010 under a July 10, 2000 executive order issued during the Pervez Musharraf regime, which made it mandatory to appoint a federal member from Sindh.
“This executive order is protected under Article 270-AA of the Constitution,” said PPP Senator Barrister Zamir Ghumro, who has questioned the appointment of federal members from Punjab in the Sindh High Court.
The tenure of the last federal member, Asjad Imtiaz, ended in Dec 2025. Subsequently, Federal Flood Commission chairman Athar Hameed was allowed to act as federal member by virtue of his office. An official said the Sindh government might not have reminded the federal government about these pending issues, resulting in Mr Leghari continuing to represent Sindh while also serving in the provincial government. Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Secretary Irrigation Zarif Khero were unavailable for comment.
Earlier, Mr Imtiaz’s appointment was struck down by an SHC division bench in Sept 2025 while hearing a petition filed on behalf of a retired engineer. The water resources ministry challenged the order before the Federal Constitutional Court.
“After the SHC order, the ministry filed an appeal before the FCC, which stayed the matter. Asjad Imtiaz’s term ended, making the case infructuous. The ministry must now appoint a federal member from Sindh,” Mr Ghumro said.
The IAC assesses river flows and determines water availability for provinces ahead of the Kharif 2026 season. According to Mr Rana, water availability in reservoirs appears encouraging compared to last year, although the final position will be determined by March 31.
He said a carryover of more than two million acre feet (MAF) is expected in Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs. “Last year, a 50 per cent shortage was observed at the start of summer, which dropped to 22pc by early June,” he said.
However, Sindh’s demand for early Kharif water may not be fully met. Mr Rana said this would require a carryover of 1.5 to 2 MAF at Tarbela, whereas it is expected to be around 0.9 MAF by April.
Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2026
