CT Newsroom
Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal dismissed Pakistan People’s Party reservations over the forming of six new canals on the Indus River in Punjab as the new canal system would barren the Sindh.
As per details, Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) has rejected the project proposed by the Punjab under the Green Pakistan Initiative. The Punjab government proposed the construction of six new canal for ploughing millions of acres of hitherto barren land, especially Cholistan region.
The Punjab government insists on completing six strategic canals on a fast-track basis. These include the Chubara Canal as the second phase of the Greater Thal Canal, the Kachhi Canal, the Rainee Canal, the Thar Canal, the Chashma Right Bank Canal, and the Cholistan Flood Feeder Canal.
However, Sindh argued that the proposed canals would disproportionately benefit Punjab, violating the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord, and reduced water flow would directly harm its irrigation system, leading to crop failures and economic losses.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz(PMLN) government is unwilling to address the reservations of its coalition partner Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
While talking to the media, Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said,“It was the PML-N government in 1991 that formulated the water accord, which clearly defines the water share of each province”.
“A foolproof, transparent system is in place to ensure its implementation. No province can receive more than its allocated share, nor can any province be deprived of its rightful allocation.”
Mr Iqbal added that the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), has representatives from all provinces, which “ensures the transparency and fairness of the water distribution system”.
In response to one question regarding to threat to the coalition, Ahsan confirmed that “We have a robust mechanism in place under Deputy Prime Minister [Ishaq Dar], which effectively manages matters between the two coalition partners [PML-N and PPP]”.
“Whenever any issue arises, we engage in discussions and resolve it amicably. There is no such division that poses a threat to our alliance. It could be a presumptive idea, but it is entirely disconnected from reality”, he added
Earlier Ahsan Iqbal showed strong commitment, “Uraan Pakistan represents our commitment to empowering every citizen of Pakistan. We aim to provide opportunities for youth, digitize agriculture for farmers, and significantly increase exports”.
“Our government is setting a strong economic foundation to ensure Pakistan’s global competitiveness and a prosperous future for generations to come”.
It is worth mentioning here that the PPP has expressed serious concerns over the Centre’s plan to build new canals to draw water from the Indus River. Sindh Chief Minister(CM) Murad Ali Shah, said the “plan threatened Sindh’s agricultural economy and would render lands in Sindh “completely barren”.
