Latest news with #NisarAhmedKhuhro
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PPP demands IRSA chairman's resignation over 'water theft'
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has demanded the resignation of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Chairman Zafar Mehmood over the controversy surrounding the opening of the Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal in Punjab at a time when Sindh is suffering from a chronic water shortage. PPP's Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro declared in Hyderabad on Thursday that the decision to open the canal is unconstitutional and reflects an utter failure on IRSA's part. He contended that both the Taunsa and Chashma-Jhelum link canals are flood canals, meant to carry water only during the flood season - unlike the prevailing spell of drought. "The IRSA chairman should accept his failure to close these canals, which are operating unlawfully, and tender his resignation," he said. Khuhro argued that the authority has failed to implement the 1991 Water Accord in letter and spirit - stopping the theft of river water and ensuring Sindh receives its rightful share.
Express Tribune
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pressure builds up on PPP against canals project
The nationalist and anti-canal activists have built up pressure on the Pakistan Peoples Party for the withdrawal of its support to the federal government. Responding to the pressure, PPP Sindh president, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that his party's street protest is the first step towards building pressure on the government. At a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday Khuhro reiterated that the PPP is being criticised for buttressing PML-N government and its policies. "But, contrarily, the fact is neither we are in the central government nor do we have any federal ministry." He asserted that the PPP's only purpose behind what is being perceived as N-league government's support is to see continuity of democracy. He maintained that President Asif Ali Zardari has no authority to sanction or reject projects regarding the construction of six new canals on the Indus River. He said the project was also not brought before the parliament for approval. Khuhro said, PPP had grudgingly accepted the 1991 water accord but the incumbent government wants to change even that accord. He pointed out that the Council of Common Interest (CCI) is the platform which is supposed to resolve disputes like the water sharing among the provinces. However, he regretted, the CCI's meeting has not been convened for years. "Over 4 million acres of land in downstream of Kotri Barrage has become uncultivable because of water scarcity," he lamented. "But I feel sad that the N-League has learned nothing from the political storm which Kalabagh Dam had created in the country." Khuhro also blamed the PML-N for silently accepting construction of Thall canal by a military general. He explained that water for the controversial Cholistan canal, which aims to turn desert region in a sprawling green one, will be drawn from the Indus through the greater Thall canal and Sutlej River.
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PPP stages protest against canals
PPP workers stage a protest march in Badin against the plan to build more canals on the Indus River in Punjab. Photo: Express The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has planned to jog memories of its anti-Kalabagh Dam protests as it ups the ante of demonstrations against the construction of six new canals on the Indus River. Party's Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro told a rally on Dulha Darya bridge in Thatta district on Tuesday that in the next phase of their protest, sit-in demonstrations will be held in all talukas of the province. He informed that party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will address public meetings starting from April 4 by going to divisional headquarters one after another. He added that sit-in on the national highway is also being planned. "The protest movement will continue until the federal government withdraws plan to build Cholistan and other canals." He recalled that the movement against Kalabagh Dam had also started from Thatta district in the 1990s. Referring to some leaders of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) of Pir Pagara Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, Khuhro said many political figures who are today opposing the canals publicly supported Kalabagh Dam in the past. "Liaquat Jatoi [a Dadu district based politician] even organised rallies for former dictator Pervez Musharraf in support of the dam." He also recalled that Jatoi, when he was the chief minister, influenced the then Sindh Assembly speaker Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah to postpone a planned session of the assembly in which a resolution was scheduled to be moved against the dam. "Those who used to sit in the lap of Musharraf and supported Kalabagh Dam are today criticising the PPP's leadership for secretly supporting the canals."
Express Tribune
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Canals: PPP announces protests in Sindh
The Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh on Friday announced to launch a movement against the controversial Indus canals projects and called protest rallies in all district headquarters across the province on Tuesday, March 25. PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, while speaking at a press conference with Waqar Mehdi and Ajiz Dhamrah, at the Sindh Assembly, criticised the "dictatorial federal government" warning that the PPP protests would force the Centre to abandon the canals projects. "The PPP will take out rallies and protest demonstrations in all district headquarters of Sindh on March 25 against the controversial six canal project. I appeal to the people of Sindh to come together and fight together against these canals," Khuhro said. "I salute the people protesting against the canals project and we and support their struggle. We will contact all political and nationalists parties in connection with the protest movement, so that we can end this anti-Sindh project through a joint struggle," he added. Khuhro regretted that certain political parties in Sindh criticised the PPP, but they never brought out rallies against the canals project. The canals project is more dangerous than the Kalabagh Dam, it will turn Sindh barren." The PPP, as well as many other nationalist parties are opposing the construction of six new canals from the Indus. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had been openly speaking against this "unilateral decision" of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government. Also, President Asif Zardari in his address to the joint session of parliament earlier this month minced no words in cautioning the federal government against its unilateral decision to carve out new canals from the Indus river system, saying the project should be 'abandoned' as he would not support it. The controversy had erupted over a federal government plan to dig six new canals to irrigate barren lands in Punjab's Cholistan area under the Green Pakistan Initiative. The PPP, which governs Sindh, says that the decision has been taken unilaterally and that it would harm the province's agriculture. Khuhro told the press conference that by starting the construction of the Cholistan Canal without the approval of any constitutional forum, the federal government had revived the memory of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf, who built the controversial Thal Canal through an executive order. "Now the federal government of the PML-N is playing an authoritarian role," he said, adding that the Punjab government has unconstitutionally allocated budget for the Cholistan Canal," he said. "The PPP will fight against the canals project at all constitutional forums, as well as in the streets," he added. "The PPP will not allow anyone to construct even a single canal from the Indus River. Just as the previous PML-N government had to withdraw from the Kalabagh Dam, the current PML-N government will have to withdraw from these six canal projects," Khuhro added. In response to a question about the PPP being part of the ruling coalition, Khuhro stated that there were demands of the PPP to leave but the fact was that the party was not part of the federal government. He also warned against a conspiracy of forming a national government.
