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Express Tribune
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Federal, Sindh govt agree to talks on contentious canal project
Listen to article In a significant development, the federal government has agreed to initiate dialogue with the Sindh government to address concerns over the controversial canal projects. The breakthrough came during a phone call between Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah and Sindh's Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon. Both leaders expressed commitment to resolving the dispute through peaceful negotiation. Rana Sanaullah stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif had instructed the centre to address Sindh's reservations. 'The federal government supports fair resource distribution among all provinces,' he said, reiterating that no province's water can be diverted unlawfully. Sanaullah emphasised that the issue should not be politicised, adding that the 1991 agreement and IRSA Act safeguard provincial rights. 'Dialogue and consultation are the solution to every problem,' he said. Sharjeel Memon said that the PPP and the people of Sindh hold serious concerns about the proposed canals. He reaffirmed Sindh's position on the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord and welcomed federal dialogue efforts. The dispute centres on a federal plan to construct six canals diverting water from the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert. The Rs211.4 billion project aims to cultivate 400,000 acres of barren land but has sparked strong opposition in Sindh. Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned the party might exit the ruling coalition if its concerns were not addressed. Bilawal fired a warning shot at the ruling ally's bows, demanding immediate scrapping of the controversial canals project or the PPP will abandon the government, leaving it stranded and severing all ties. "The PPP is demanding that the federal government should immediately stop the controversial canals project and accept our objections, otherwise the PPP won't go along with you," he cautioned at his party's public meeting in Hyderabad on Friday evening. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that the controversial canal project would die down before the 2025-26 federal budget.
Express Tribune
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif urge resolution of PPP concerns over canal project
Listen to article Pakistan's Prime Minister and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has instructed his government to address the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) concerns regarding a controversial canal project, signaling a willingness to resolve the matter through dialogue. According to the Prime Minister's Adviser on Inter-Provincial Coordination, Rana Sanaullah Khan, the directive from Shehbaz Sharif follows consultation with party leader Nawaz Sharif. 'The Prime Minister has urged that all outstanding issues with the PPP be resolved through talks,' said Rana, emphasizing the government's commitment to the fair distribution of resources, including water, among provinces Rana Sanaullah reaffirmed that the PPP is an integral part of the federal government and highlighted the need for responsible communication by all parties holding constitutional offices. 'We hold the PPP leadership in high regard,' he stated. He referenced the 1991 Water Accord and the 1992 IRSA Act, assuring that these legal frameworks ensure no province is deprived of its share of water. 'There is a constitutional mechanism in place to prevent any injustice,' he added. Commenting on recent political tensions, Rana cautioned against politicizing the issue of water distribution. 'Such matters should be settled at the negotiation table,' he urged. 'The strength of provinces is the strength of the federation.' He concluded by reaffirming the PML-N's longstanding position: 'As a party committed to the constitution and democracy, we will never compromise on the rights of provinces and their people. Dialogue and consultation remain the key to resolving all disputes
Express Tribune
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
JI conference dismisses six new canals' plan
HYDERABAD: A water conference, hosted by Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh and presided over by provincial Ameer Kashif Saeed Shaikh, was held at a local hotel in Hyderabad today. The conference was attended by leaders of political, religious, and nationalist parties. The participants rejected the federal government's plan to construct six new canals on the Indus River, calling it illegal, a violation of the IRSA Act, and a conspiracy to turn Sindh barren. They criticised the dual standards of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and warned that if the party failed to pass resolutions against such anti-Sindh projects in the Sindh Assembly, National Assembly, and Senate, all political parties would jointly besiege the Chief Minister's House. In his presidential address, Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh Ameer Kashif Saeed Shaikh alleged that, as in the past, the PPP is facilitating the federal government and institutions in building these canals. Sindh United Party leader Syed Zain Shah dismissed the federal government's data on water as fake and deceitful. He highlighted that the people in Hyderabad and Karachi were struggling even for drinking water. Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party Chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said water is a basic necessity of life, and the Indus River is Sindh's lifeline. He said: "If new canals are constructed, Sindh will turn into a collective graveyard." He criticized Punjab's bureaucracy for always devising plans to loot Sindh's water. He urged political parties and farmers to continue the struggle against the plan of six canals. Pakistan Muslim League-Functional Sindh Secretary General Sardar Abdul Rahim stated that Pir Pagara was prepared to go to any extent to protect Sindh's water. Sindh Abadgar Board leader Seyed Nadeem Shah Jamot accused Punjab of planning to cultivate its barren lands at the cost of turning seven million acres of Sindh's land barren. PTI leader Khawand Bux Jahejo acknowledged that water is a serious issue for Sindh and assured full support to JI's efforts against the plan to build six new canals on Indus River.
