The federal government has decided to form a high-level negotiating committee to tackle Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) concern about the proposed construction of six channels from the Indus River, Express News reported.

The committee will be led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and will include Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and adviser to the Prime Minister on political affairs Rana Sanaullah. Water and agricultural experts are also expected to join.

Officials said the committee’s primary role will be to participate in dialogue with PPP leadership and other stakeholders to find a political solution to the objections raised regarding the project.

The decision was made with the approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also expected to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zze-Zoni soon to further discuss a strategy to solve the problem.

Meetings between party leaders are likely to take place in both Karachi and Islamabad in the coming days. According to a senior PML-N leader, detailed consultations were recently held within the party about the political and provincial reaction to the Indus Canal project.

He added that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and PM Shehbaz during these consultations agreed that the case should be resolved through dialogue. “In light of these discussions, the federal government has decided to form an authorized committee to hold conversations with PPP and others,” he said.

The committee will inform PPP of the technical benefits of the channel project and try to understand the party’s objections. A comprehensive technical review will also be conducted to develop a common path forward.

The government is also considering convening a session of the Council for Common Interests (CCI) and may call an All Parties Conference (APC) if necessary. Dialogue between the parties is expected to begin soon, with PML-N, which indicates that it can revise its strategy depending on political development.