A young man has drowned in the Sadiqia Canal while trying to rescue his wife, who had attempted suicide following an argument in Mandi Sadiq Ganj on Sunday.

The deceased, 22-year-old Shahid Mewati, a resident of Kanganpur in Kasur district, married 19-year-old Salma of Mandi Sadiq Ganj six months ago.

According to Shahid’s family, Salma had recently returned to her parents’ home after disputes with her in-laws and had been staying there for several days.

On Saturday, Shahid visited her residence to convince her to return. However, a heated argument broke out between the couple, after which Salma, in a fit of anger, jumped into the nearby Sadiqia Canal.

Hearing the family's cries for help, locals rushed to the scene and managed to pull Salma out of the water. However, they were unable to save Shahid, who was swept away by the canal’s strong current and went missing.

A team of 12 Rescue 1122 divers arrived and searched the canal throughout the day to find Shahid’s body.

The Sadiqia Canal, which passes through the area near Sadiqabad, a tehsil of the Rahim Yar Khan district that borders Sindh, is an aspect of an extensive system of canals that played a major role in the settlement and agricultural growth of the area. 

Irrigation has been made possible by canals like Sadiqia Shariqia and Sadiqia Ghariba. 

The canals have been susceptible to breaches; in May 2025, a 50-foot breach in the Ahmed Wah canal near Machi Goth was reported, flooding crop fields and localities. 

Another breach in a minor canal (Gullan minor) affected wheat crops in Sadiqabad tehsil.