A Pakistani Hindu state minister was attacked with tomatoes and potatoes in Sindh on Saturday by protesters opposing the federal government’s proposed canal projects, which critics say will reduce the province’s share of irrigation water.
Kheal Das Kohistani , state minister for religious affairs in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet, was targeted by a group of demonstrators in Thatta district, however, he remained unharmed.
The attack, which took place amid rising tensions over the Green Pakistan Initiative , drew swift condemnation from both federal and provincial authorities. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the assault on Kohistani “unacceptable” and assured of “a thorough investigation” into the incident. “The attack on the public representatives is unacceptable. The persons involved in the incident would be given exemplary punishment,” he said.
Federal information minister Atta Tarar also called it “an attack” and sought a report from the Sindh Inspector General of Police and the federal interior secretary.
Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah issued a stern warning against taking the law into one’s own hands and instructed Hyderabad’s deputy inspector general to arrest the culprits immediately.
Kohistani, a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), hails from Sindh’s Jamshoro district and was first elected to parliament in 2018. He returned to the National Assembly in 2024 and was later appointed as a state minister.
The protestors chanted slogans against the PML-N-led federal government, accusing it of threatening Sindh’s agricultural livelihood by backing controversial canal projects in Punjab under the Green Pakistan Initiative.
The plan, supported by the federal government, Punjab authorities and the military, includes the construction of six new canals to irrigate Cholistan. Opponents argue it will cut downriver water flow to Sindh, worsening irrigation issues in the province.
Political tensions flared further after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued a strong warning to the PML-N at a rally in Hyderabad. He said the PPP would withdraw support from the federal government if the canal plan wasn’t shelved.
In response, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif directed the federal government to initiate talks with the PPP to resolve the dispute amicably.
Rana Sanaullah, a senior PML-N leader and adviser to the prime minister, later stated, “Politics should not be played over the issue of water. Matters must be resolved through dialogue.” He reiterated that the 1991 Water Accord and 1992 IRSA Act protect inter-provincial water rights.
Kheal Das Kohistani , state minister for religious affairs in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet, was targeted by a group of demonstrators in Thatta district, however, he remained unharmed.
The attack, which took place amid rising tensions over the Green Pakistan Initiative , drew swift condemnation from both federal and provincial authorities. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the assault on Kohistani “unacceptable” and assured of “a thorough investigation” into the incident. “The attack on the public representatives is unacceptable. The persons involved in the incident would be given exemplary punishment,” he said.
Federal information minister Atta Tarar also called it “an attack” and sought a report from the Sindh Inspector General of Police and the federal interior secretary.
Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah issued a stern warning against taking the law into one’s own hands and instructed Hyderabad’s deputy inspector general to arrest the culprits immediately.
Kohistani, a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), hails from Sindh’s Jamshoro district and was first elected to parliament in 2018. He returned to the National Assembly in 2024 and was later appointed as a state minister.
The protestors chanted slogans against the PML-N-led federal government, accusing it of threatening Sindh’s agricultural livelihood by backing controversial canal projects in Punjab under the Green Pakistan Initiative.
The plan, supported by the federal government, Punjab authorities and the military, includes the construction of six new canals to irrigate Cholistan. Opponents argue it will cut downriver water flow to Sindh, worsening irrigation issues in the province.
Political tensions flared further after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued a strong warning to the PML-N at a rally in Hyderabad. He said the PPP would withdraw support from the federal government if the canal plan wasn’t shelved.
In response, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif directed the federal government to initiate talks with the PPP to resolve the dispute amicably.
Rana Sanaullah, a senior PML-N leader and adviser to the prime minister, later stated, “Politics should not be played over the issue of water. Matters must be resolved through dialogue.” He reiterated that the 1991 Water Accord and 1992 IRSA Act protect inter-provincial water rights.
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