ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has sought Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s support against the controversial canals project, it is learnt.
Shazia Marri, PPP Information Secretary and Member of the National Assembly, accused Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Speaker’s Office of bias, claiming that PPP had submitted a resolution to the Speaker on April 7, which should have been included in the agenda.
However, she said, the speaker placed a note on the resolution and returned it to the Assembly Secretary instead.
Marri, in her statement on Thursday, defended the PPP’s reaction in the National Assembly, asserting that “if issues are not allowed to be discussed or addressed, strong reactions are inevitable.”
Marri stated that PTI had also submitted a resolution to the National Assembly Secretariat opposing the construction of canals from the Indus River. She urged PTI to lend its support to the PPP’s resolution on the matter.
She said “if today PTI wants to correct its previous mistake by bringing a resolution, then come and support our resolution.” She said that “we have to stand together against the construction of canals on the Indus because it is a matter of life and death.”
She said the PPP had always struggled for fair and just distribution of water in the country.
Meanwhile, PPP was facing isolation in the National Assembly as all major political parties refused to support its resolution against the canal project, the sources said.
PPP MNAs including Shabbir Bijarani had signed an anti-canal resolution a day before yesterday to be moved in the lower house, the sources said.
Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said the PML-N members would not support the resolution against canals in the house at any cost, the PPP sources said.
The PTI also did not support the People’s Party’s resolution against building of new canals on the river, the PPP sources shared.
“When the PPP lawmakers failed to table the resolution, they spoke over the issue on the point of order with permission from the Speaker,” party sources added.
The rift between the PPP and the ruling PML-N deepened over the controversial canal project, as PPP MNAs disrupted the quorum of the National Assembly, according to sources.
Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, who was chairing the session, began the proceedings by initiating the question hour. However, opposition lawmakers stood up seeking to speak on a point of order, which the chair declined.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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