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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
'PTI's protest movement is ineffective' says Rana Sanaullah
Listen to article Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Public and Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's protest call won't bear fruit as the party is not in a position to lead any such movement at the moment. Speaking to the media after offering Eid al-Adha prayers in Faislabad, the SAPM said Pakistan is now on the path to economic stability and development, but overcoming existing challenges requires national unity, political consensus, and alignment on an economic agenda, which he called the most urgent need of the time. He said Pakistan is transitioning from economic decline toward economic stability — a dream of the country's founding fathers. He added that thanks to national unity and courageous decisions by the political leadership, Pakistan is once again on a path of development. He revealed that India made an unjustified and arrogant attempt to attack Pakistan last month, but armed forces, with the backing of the people, delivered a strong response and shattered the enemy's arrogance. He said that the ongoing military operation, 'Bunyan-un-Marsoos', being carried out in the name of justice, has achieved historic success, and Pakistan has emerged before the world as a strong nuclear power. Read: FO slams Modi's 'unfounded' allegations on Pahalgam attack He extended congratulations to Field Marshal General Asim Munir and every soldier involved, saying they all deserve recognition for this success. Sanaullah said that under the leadership of PM Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan has stepped onto the path of economic growth. He once again called on PTI and all political parties to come together for the country's betterment and agree on the Charter of Economy, just as the entire nation had shown unity and consensus between May 6 and May 10. He stressed that politics can wait — what's most important is fixing the economy, especially since 240 million Pakistanis are struggling with inflation and economic pressures. He appealed to opposition leaders to accept the Prime Minister's invitation and agree on the formation of a neutral Election Commission so that the next general elections are free and fair, leaving no room for objection. The adviser said that Pakistan has earned respect and recognition at the global level — countries that once distanced themselves are now compelled to listen. He warned that if political leaders continue to prioritise personal or group interests, it will go against national interest. He urged the public to put pressure on political parties to put the nation first. Commenting on PTI's protest movement, Rana Sanaullah said the movement is ineffective because the party lacks both preparation and public support. He further criticised Imran Khan, saying that if the former Prime Minister ties his release to the country's economic progress, it would be an injustice to the nation. Speaking on India's intentions, he responded to a question saying that the Modi government is following the RSS's extremist agenda and is hostile toward both Pakistan and Muslims. Read more: Pakistan launches diplomatic offensive against India He assured that India would not dare attack again, although efforts to destabilise Pakistan through terrorism would likely continue. He added that while the military has fulfilled its duties, it is now the responsibility of the political leadership to unite for national development. He claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is taking the upcoming local government elections seriously and will participate actively under the new Local Government Act. He confirmed that these elections will be held on a party basis. Sanaullah also said that the Punjab government is working on welfare schemes such as the Kisan Card, Mazdoor Card, and Mazoor Card to improve the quality of life for ordinary citizens. He concluded by noting that major national projects, including Pakistan's nuclear tests, were completed during PML-N's tenure, and that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is now stepping forward with a new vision of public service.
News18
02-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Pakistan's Top Diplomat Says Open To Neutral Probe Into Pahalgam Attack
Last Updated: Sources revealed that during the last instance when India agreed to a similar probe, Pakistan neither submitted a final report nor issued any formal communication Pakistani Prime Minister's Political Advisor Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that Islamabad is open to impartial investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, warning India that its aggressive conduct may push the region towards instability. The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, prompting India to downgrade its diplomatic ties with Pakistan on all fronts. 'We are ready for a neutral inquiry into the Pahalgam incident," Sanaullah told ARY News, adding that Pakistan would also accept a joint investigation or even a third-party special expert-led probe into the matter. The Pakistani diplomat further questioned India's reporting of the Pahalgam incident, calling it suspicious and inconsistent, and emphasised that the truth must emerge regarding who orchestrated the 'heinous act." Meanwhile, well-placed sources revealed that during the last instance when India agreed to a similar probe, Pakistan neither submitted a final report nor issued any formal communication, suggesting that India may be reluctant to agree to a probe into the Pahalgam incident. 'The Government of Pakistan had constituted a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on February 25, 2016, under Section 19(I) of its Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, to investigate an attack on Pathankot Air Force base, in furtherance to a FIR registered at Police Station Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Gujranwala in Pakistan. But the findings of the JIT were never shared with the Government of India," said sources, citing officials. Sanaullah also criticised India's bold move of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty immediately after the incident. 'India's actions appear premeditated and aimed at achieving political gains," he said, adding that India has failed to suppress the freedom movement in Kashmir despite its massive military deployment. India announced a series of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Additionally, New Delhi ordered the closure of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, halted the issuance of visas to Pakistani citizens, and decided to reduce the presence of senior officials at the High Commission. 'Pakistan's Role Not Proven' Another diplomat, Saeed Sheikh, Pakistani Ambassador to the US, said that India has not yet presented any kind of evidence to Pakistan or the international community to prove Islamabad's involvement in the Pahalgam incident. 'India cannot shift the burden of its oppressive policies, electoral compulsions or administrative failures onto Pakistan," he said. He further added that if the presence of thousands of troops cannot ensure peace in Jammu and Kashmir then it should be a moment of reflection for India. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a public event in Bihar that Kashmir saw massive growth in recent years, with the surge in tourism and opportunities for the youth. He noted that the Pahalgam attack was a desperate attempt by the enemies of the nation to derail the region's progress. 'I assure the victims' families that they will get justice. The conspirators and perpetrators of this attack will face the toughest response," PM Modi remarked. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
Business Recorder
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
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
Business Recorder
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Canal dispute: breaking the deadlock
EDITORIAL: With the PML-N and PPP finally agreeing to begin dialogue on the controversial canal project that aims to irrigate the Cholistan region, there is now renewed hope for an amicable resolution to an issue that has emerged as the most serious threat to inter-provincial harmony in years. The project has not only prompted the PPP to threaten withdrawal from the coalition government, it has also sparked protests and shutter-down strikes across Sindh, where there are growing fears that the province's water rights will be usurped if the project proceeds. It is highly welcome, therefore, that senior representatives from both sides have decided to engage on the matter. Following Nawaz Sharif's call for talks to resolve the issue, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah reached out to PPP's Sharjeel Inam Memon on April 20, and assured him that the federal government is ready to discuss Sindh's concerns regarding the canal project. The PPP, for its part, has welcomed the PML-N's overture although it has not backed down from its original stance that calls for the project to be completely scrapped. Nevertheless, the willingness of both sides to come to the table suggests a desire to resolve the highly divisive issue. The canal project, it must be recalled, is part of the Green Pakistan Initiative that aims to revolutionise agriculture in the country by not only providing high quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to farmers, but also through placing state-of-the-art agricultural equipment and technology at their disposal besides irrigating the barren Cholistan region through building a network of six canals on the Indus river. The initiative holds the potential to fundamentally transform the way agriculture is practiced in Pakistan, ushering in modern methods and putting the country on the path towards sustainable food security. Given the immense importance of this undertaking, therefore, one is at pains to understand why the ruling PML-N did not adopt a more flexible approach much earlier. Talks on such contentious issues – provincial water sharing and resource distribution among federating units – should never have been delayed, as the prolonged inaction has only fuelled unrest and deepened mistrust between provinces. What could have been resolved through timely negotiation has been turned into a political hot potato, exacerbated by inflammatory rhetoric from all sides, and one truly hopes that despite all the public posturing, both sides go into the talks with a spirit of consensus-building. It is also crucial here to highlight that the Constitution prescribes a procedure to resolve disputes between federating units, i.e., through the much-ignored Council of Common Interest (CCI), the highest constitutional authority tasked with formulating and regulating policies related to inter-provincial and centre-province matters. The CCI was envisioned as a body geared towards strengthening the federal structure by resolving policy disagreements in meetings that were required to take place every 90 days. What is disheartening is that successive governments have not accorded this institution the respect it deserves, and have repeatedly violated the Constitution by neglecting to hold its sessions as mandated, with no CCI meetings being convened ever since the present government came to power. So, while the holding of talks between the two coalition partners is much-needed, one also hopes that the PML-N realises the importance of the CCI in resolving inter-provincial disputes as its decisions carry greater legitimacy and are more likely to result in enduring outcomes given its constitutional status. Ultimately, both parties must remember this: a solution that serves the interest of the federation need not come at the expense of any federating unit. Serving both does not have to be a mutually exclusive endeavour. Any dialogue process must be rooted in fairness and pursuance of existing agreement with focus on forging consensus that balances national interest with provincial rights. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Centre, Sindh set for water talks
Listen to article The federal government agreed on Sunday to open dialogue with the Sindh government to address the deepening controversy over a proposed canal project on Indus river that sharply divided allies in the ruling coalition. Amid rising political tensions over the controversial canal project, the Centre and Sindh kicked off talks when Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah and Sindh's Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon talked by the telephone in a bid to ease the rift, and find a common ground. Both sides agreed that the issue should be resolved through consultation rather than confrontation. Sana said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif had instructed that the Centre should take Sindh's concerns seriously and begin dialogue. On February 15, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir had inaugurated an ambitious agriculture initiative to irrigate barren land in Punjab's Cholistan area. The PPP - a major ally of the PML-N in the federal government - has been expressing serious reservations over the plan to draw six new canals from the Indus river to meet the irrigation needs of the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) in the Cholistan desert. Sanaullah reportedly said that no province's share of water could be unlawfully diverted, adding that the federal government believed in just and equitable distribution of resources. He also said that the issue shouldn't be politicised, stressing that dialogue was the only way forward. A day ago, Sanaullah said that his party held deep respect for the leadership of the PPP, and that no injustice was possible in the presence of the 1991 Water Accord and the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act of 1992, which governed the inter-provincial water sharing. The prime minister' political adviser clarified that no province's water could be diverted to another, as there were constitutional mechanisms and laws in place to ensure fairness in the distribution in the precious resource. Meanwhile, Sindh's senior minister welcomed the federal government's willingness to hold talks, saying that the PPP and the people of Sindh had serious reservations over the canals project. He added that the party's stance was firmly grounded in the 1991 water agreement. He reaffirmed Sindh's opposition to "unconstitutional diversion of its water". Political temperature rose sharply when PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued a stark warning to the federal government during a public rally in Hyderabad on April 18. "The PPP is demanding that the federal government immediately stop the controversial canals project and accept our objections," he declared, warning that failure to do so would result in the PPP abandoning the PML-N government. Time and again, the PPP Parliamentarians has threatened to topple the PML-N government as both the parties had entered into a contract before forming the federal government back in February 2024 after a split mandate in the general elections. Though the PPPP didn't become a part of the federal cabinet, both sides had divided key constitutional offices between them. Bilawal's warning has come despite an assurance given by Deputy Prime MInister Ishaq Dar in the National Assembly on April 11 that not a single drop of Sindh's water share would be taken by any other province. "Everything will be discussed and settled before taking any step." PML-N, PPPP meet in Lahore Meanwhile, a joint meeting of the PML-N and PPP coordination committee was held at the Governor House in Lahore to iron out differences. The meeting, attended by senior leaders from both parties including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar – via a video link, Rana Sanaullah, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, and PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Nadeem Afzal Chan, and Syed Hassan Murtaza, focused largely on PPP's grievances. After the meeting, Murtaza and Khan acknowledged the sensitivities surrounding the water issue. As far as water's distribution is concerned, Khan said, Irsa has already decided that matter, saying all parties agreed on Irsa's document. In this 'sacrosanct' document, Khan said all the parties have agreed to 107 million acre feet of water distribution. Due to some climate issues, Khan said that the available water right now was around 10 million acre feet less than the total capacity, adding that because of the shortage of water voices were also being raised in Punjab. As far as the issue of water distribution was concerned, Khan continued, both sides would not discuss the issues from a political standpoint, rather, on the basis on data. He said Sindh had every right to "jealously guard" its share of water just like Punjab or any other province. He recalled that the Kalabagh dam project was also shelved because of the political differences. "The people of Pakistan are very intelligent when it comes to discussing such issues." On canals, he added, "The reservations must be addressed and both sides should understand each other's technical position." PPP's Hassan Murtaza stressed that while both parties had agreed to continue working together for the sake of national stability, the PPP still had serious concernsnot just over the canals, but also over wheat procurement, local governance, and the plight of farmers. "Sugarcane growers haven't been paid by mills yet," he said, pointing to broader governance challenges in Punjab. According to party insiders, the PPP raised objections not just about water but also regarding developmental funds and administrative transparency in Punjab, pressing the PML-N to take corrective action. The PML-N reportedly asked for a week to address these concerns and gave assurances that issues would be settled down.
