SUKKUR: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said that no canals are being constructed on River Indus.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while addressing the media at the residence of leader of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Lala Asad Pathan in Sukkur, paid rich tribute to Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on his death anniversary and strongly opposed the construction of six proposed canals on the Indus River, calling the project a unilateral move by the Punjab government.
The Chief Minister denied signing of any summary by President Asif Ali Zardari in this respect.
Chief Minister said that the federal government is functioning smoothly with the support of Pakistan People’s Party. Murad Shah emphasized the Pakistan Peoples Party’s firm opposition to the project, asserting it was a unilateral move by the Punjab government that violates constitutional protocols.
The CM declared: “The PPP will not allow the construction of these illegal canals. No province can independently undertake a water project without the consensus of all provinces through the Council of Common Interests (CCI).”
The CM stated that the Punjab government’s proposal for the Rs 218 billion canal project had not been presented to the CCI as required by Article 155 of the Constitution. The CM also criticized the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) for issuing what he described as a misleading water availability certificate on January 17, 2024. “This certificate was incorrect and irresponsible, and the PPP has challenged it to protect Sindh’s water rights,” he explained.
The CM presented data highlighting the existing water scarcity, stating that there is a shortage of 11 MAF of water in Sindh. “Between 1999 and 2024, water only reached the sea in 4 years. How can new canal projects be justified in such a scenario?” he questioned.
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