ISLAMABAD:
The PPP confronted the PML-N government over Sindh’s water share on Tuesday, accusing it of blocking the Indus water and diverting its water through six new canals.
PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Senator Sherry Rehman called for a meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) to clarify the government’s position on commercial agriculture in the desert areas and construction of canals on the Indus River.
Speaking on an adjournment motion in the Senate session chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rehman noted that the CCI had not met for the last 11 months. She warned that the canal plan could disrupt water distribution in Sindh, exacerbate water scarcity and cause environmental damage.
During the session, Minister of Water Resources Mussadik Malik presented the figures for water distribution. However, the PPP lawmakers indicated that the data was different from the ground realities. Rehman called for urgent measures to address the unequal distribution of water.
She said the government wanted to irrigate the Cholistan desert but asked how it would make water available for irrigation when the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) had reported water shortages for the past 25 years.
Opposition leader Shibli Faraz supported the rights of areas in the lower riverbanks. “We support the PPP on this issue. The CCI meeting will not be held,” he said, stressing the need to convene a CCI meeting to address the pressing issues of water scarcity.
While presenting a detailed reply in Parliament on the water distribution formula and the construction of canals, the water resources minister said that anyone could build canals on their own share of water. “No share of water has been reduced. It is not even possible after the 18th amendment,” he said.
PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the Upper House, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, told the House that water was being supplied under the water distribution formula. He added that if someone built canals on his share of water, then the objection against it was unjustified.
Other members also participated in the discussion. Later, the PPP lawmakers demanded Deputy Speaker Syedal Khan to refer the matter to the relevant House Committee. However, the chairman rejected the request, which OPP objected to.
Also during the session, the PPP legislators protested against Communications Minister Aleem Khan’s statement on the party. Khan had said that the government intended to build a green highway from Karachi to Sukkur, which would be extended to Karachi.
He then said that the previous government including PPP and PTI should answer why they did not build highways during their tenure. He added that he was a minister for six months and “I will give an account of my 6-month ministerial tenure”.
The PPP objected to Aleem Khan’s remarks. However, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar intervened and apologized on behalf of his cabinet colleague. Later, Aleem Khan also apologized for his remarks.
