PA convened to openly oppose canals project
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KARACHI:
After President Asif Ali Zardari’s criticism on federal government’s ‘unilateral’ plan to carve out more canals from the Indus River, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has decided to openly oppose the plan. In this regard, a special session of the Sindh Assembly has been summoned on Thursday, to formally oppose the project.
According to sources privy to PPP, a resolution will be passed in the house against planned carving out of canals. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori has convened the Sindh Assembly session on the request of Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah. It is likely that the session will continue for two days during which the proposed resolution will be passed.
Sindh Minister for Irrigation, Jam Khan Shoro and other members of the PPP will deliver speeches against the proposed plan.
PPP sources told that the party will also contact other parliamentary parties including MQM to seek their support.
Meanwhile, the PPP Sindh President, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro in a statement has welcomed President Asif Ali Zardari’s objection on controversial canal project. He described this stance as policy of the PPP about the plan. He urged the federal government to withdraw from the controversial project, otherwise, the PPP would launch a movement against such projects. He stated that President Zardari’s opposition to the planned canals has dispelled political opponents, accusing the PPP of compromising on the issue.
He further explained that, under the constitution, the approval of any development project, including canal project, does not fall under the authority of the presidency. The constitutional forums for resolving water disputes and approving such projects are Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), National Economic Council (NEC), and the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
He pointed out that none of these forums have yet approved the canal project. Instead, during the caretaker government’s tenure, Indus River System Authority (IRSA) issued an unconstitutional NOC citing excess water availability. Based on this, the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved the canal projects, even though CDWP lacks constitutional authority and is not a final decision-making body, Khuhro added.
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