Bilawal Expresses Sindh’s Concerns Over New Canals from Indus River

Islamabad– Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday raised strong concerns regarding the construction of new canals from the Indus River, stressing that the issue needs to be resolved through consensus and reviewed by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). Speaking to the media at the Parliament House, Bilawal emphasized that President Asif Ali Zardari had previously highlighted the government’s unilateral decisions, especially regarding new canals from the Indus, which have caused considerable strain.

Bilawal stated that these decisions, made without broad consensus, must be reviewed. He added that Sindh’s concerns on this matter should be addressed by the CCI, the appropriate forum for water distribution issues. “The government should not ignore our concerns, as this could harm the federating units,” he said.

He emphasized that the PPP has always raised its voice against actions that infringe upon provincial rights, pointing out that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other PPP leaders have consistently raised the issue of water distribution across various forums.

Bilawal also discussed the Green Pakistan project and PPP’s commitment to enhancing the agricultural sector. He stressed the need for prioritizing areas in Punjab and Sindh that contribute significantly to the agricultural economy and advocating for small landowners’ collective bargaining power. He proposed public-private partnerships to introduce smart irrigation funded by the federal government and revealed that the PPP is working on pilot projects in Sindh, including bio-saline agriculture in Thar.

Regarding the ongoing political landscape, Bilawal reaffirmed that the PPP has rejected the “half-term prime minister” formula. He also acknowledged the role of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in addressing the PPP’s concerns and congratulated him on improving economic indicators.

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Bilawal further addressed the deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), urging the federal government to push KP’s provincial government to tackle these issues. He described the law and order situation as a collective responsibility and highlighted the adverse effects of climate change in Balochistan.

Finally, Bilawal described President Zardari’s address to parliament as “historic,” marking the eighth time a civilian president has spoken to the legislature. He praised President Zardari’s focus on consensus-based reforms and the representation of all elected members of parliament.

As the government prepares for the upcoming budget, Bilawal expressed confidence in the PPP and PML-N working together to draft a collective budget in line with their agreements, benefiting all provinces.