PPP's stance on canal issue clear from day one: Sharjeel
KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that as soon as the issue of the controversial canals arose, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh government immediately began efforts to resolve it. The PPP's stance on the canal issue has been clear from day one: wherever we held meetings, we consistently opposed the construction of canals.
Speaking at a press conference in the Directorate of Social Media and Electronic Media Karachi, Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister of Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon, accompanied by Provincial Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and PPP Sindh Information Secretary Ajiz Dhamrah, said that when there was the caretaker government, a session of IRSA was held on January 25, 2024. In that meeting, a water availability certificate was issued to Punjab, suggesting that the canal project could proceed. However, Sindh's representative, Ehsan Leghari, raised objections and noted that there was no water available, and therefore, the water availability certificate should be withdrawn.
Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that a summary was prepared on June 13, 2025, clearly objecting to the canal project, and it was signed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on June 14. He emphasized that the Pakistan Peoples Party government was the first to raise objections regarding the Sindh canal issue.
He said that, according to the Constitution, a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) must be held every 90 days. The Sindh Chief Minister wrote several letters requesting that a CCI meeting be convened, but it has not been held yet.
Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the Sindh government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have a clear stance that no canals should be constructed on the Indus River. He said the PPP is a federal party that considers the interests of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan alike. 'We have all the letters in which we have opposed the construction of canals, and the PPP has consistently maintained the same position at every forum — that the controversial canals should not be built,' he added.
He said that President Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing a joint session of Parliament, clearly stated that the project could not be supported. He told that Punjab possesses a stock of fresh groundwater, which can be utilized for agriculture. He also said that Prime Minister's Political Advisor, Rana Sanaullah, called two days ago and informed that the Prime Minister is willing to look into the issue. Rana Sanaullah also called yesterday and Tuesday. Sharjeel Inam Memon demanded that Shehbaz Sharif is the Prime Minister of the entire country and should act to alleviate and address the anxieties of the people. He stated that the country belongs to its people, and even in the 1991 Water Accord, Sindh is not being provided with its due share. He emphasized that, both legally and constitutionally, Sindh should be given its rightful share of water.
Addressing a press conference, Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh Information Secretary Ajiz Dhamrah said that the PPP welcomes the protest for water, as it considers the construction of canals a form of robbery on the Indus River. He added that some elements are trying to steer the protest toward violence and bloodshed.
He said that the civil society, writers, and intellectuals of Sindh should come forward, and assured them that the Pakistan Peoples Party stands with them. He added that the PPP will be organizing protest rallies in Sukkur and Mirpurkhas to raise its voice on the issue of water in Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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