- PM Shehbaz says CCI meeting would be called on May 2 to endorse PPP, PML-N and govt decisions
- We are not taking any decision, but only affirming that new canals will not be built without consensus: Bilawal
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday declared that no new canals would be built without mutual consensus by provinces in the Council of Common Interests (CCI), amid severe opposition and protest from many quarters particularly Sindh and uncertainty in view of the India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Addressing a press conference alongside PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari after a meeting with the party’s delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides considered the country’s situation in detail and India’s announcements related to the rivers.
“Today, we decided in the meeting between the PPP and PML-N with mutual agreement that until a decision is reached with mutual consensus in the CCI, no further canal will be constructed and the federal government has decided that there will be no further progress on canals without the consensus of opinion among provinces.”
“The meeting of CCI would be called on Friday, May 2,” the premier stated.
He said he informed the PPP delegation about the decisions reached by the National Security Committee in response to the announcements by India, which took an aggressive stance against Pakistan.
“We have issued a press statement against the jingoistic steps of India after deliberations by the National Security Committee,” he added.
He said during the meeting with the PPP delegation, the issue of canals was discussed.
The prime minister said he explained that Pakistan was a federation and the issue among provinces should be resolved with negotiations and sincerity and according to the national interest.
He said it was his stated position for decades that economically Kalabagh dam was in the interest of the nation, adding however, nothing was more important than the federation and the objections of federating units should be accepted on the issue of Kalabagh dam.
He said the issue of canals should be resolved according to mutual consensus.
“During the meeting, both the PPP and PML-N decided that the issue of canals would be put before the Council of Common Interests (CCI), he added.
“In the CCI meeting, the decisions of Pakistan People’s Party, PML-N and the federal government regarding canals would be endorsed,” he remarked.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto thanked the prime minister for reaching decision about canals in view of the objections raised by the provinces.
He also welcomed the step to endorse decisions of this meeting at the CCI forum.
Bilawal thanked the premier for hearing out the PPP and the nation’s reservations and complaints in the detailed engagement and taking important subsequent decisions.
He said the prime minister had largely addressed the complaints of those protesting against the government’s policy and expressed hope that the CCI meeting would endorse the decision of no new canal construction without mutual agreement.
“We are not taking any decision today, but only affirming that without a consensus, new canals will not be made. I am looking forward to the CCI meeting.”
Bilawal strongly condemned India’s announcements, particularly regarding the IWT, and said they were not only illegal but “against humanity”.
“We will stand together with you and raise Pakistan’s case not only on the streets but on the international level and will give a befitting response to India’s decision,” the former foreign minister said.
Earlier in the meeting, the participants were informed that the government was engaging all provincial governments to chart out a long-term consensus roadmap for the development of the country’s agriculture policy and water management infrastructure.
It was said that water rights of all provinces were enshrined in the Water Apportionment Accord-1991 and Water Policy-2018, with the consensus of all stakeholders.
To allay the concerns of all provinces and to ensure food and ecological security, a committee was also being formed with representation from the federation and all provinces that would propose solutions to long-term agriculture needs and water use of all provinces in line with the two documents.
“Water is one of the most precious commodities and the makers of the Constitution recognised this, mandating all water disputes to be resolved amicably through consensus and concerns of any province shall be addressed through due diligence amongst all stakeholders,” said a press release.
The IWT is a water-sharing agreement between Pakistan and India, facilitated by the World Bank. It allocates the waters of the Indus River system between the two countries. It established the India-Pakistan Indus Commission, which is supposed to resolve any problems that arise.
PPP leaders welcome canal decision, opposition parties reject
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said PM Shehbaz in principle had accepted the PPP’s version and called the decision to shelve the canal project a “victory for the federation, democracy and democratic institutions”.
In a statement, he also appreciated calling the CCI meeting on May 2 and vowed to present Sindh’s stance vociferously.
“I hope that the canal project will be cancelled,” he stated, officially calling for an end to protests and sit-ins.
“The PPP adopted a democratic and constitutional way while those elements who resorted to ‘politics of chaos’ have failed,” Shah said without naming anyone.
Separately, PPP senior leader Faryal Talpur in a statement said that halting work on canals and calling the CCI meeting was a “victory for national unity, constitutional dominance and people’s struggle of Sindh”.
However, the Sindh Bachao Tehreek (SBT) — an alliance of opposition parties such as the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), PTI and nationalists — issued a statement calling the decisions taken equal to “hoodwinking” the people of Sindh and rejected it.
This statement was made during an emergency meeting of the SBT, chaired by its convener Syed Zain Shah and attended by figures, including the PML-F’s Sardar Raheem, PTI’s Haleem Adil Shaikh, GDA’s Dr Safdar Abbasi, Barrister Hasnain Mirza and others.
They said that since the PPP had already “mortgaged Sindh’s interests”, it was not possible for it to cancel the six canals’ project.
“People of Sindh want to ask as to why Sindh’s lands given for Green Pakistan Initiative have not been cancelled,” said a statement from the SBT leaders.
