HYDERABAD, Nov 23: Sindhu Agricultural Forum (SAF) has expressed grave concern on the overbearing statements of Punjab Water Council (PWC) against Sindh and the chairman of Irsa who by a constitutional act has recently taken over.

The secretary general of the forum, Nazir Ahmed Memon in a statement here on Friday said that it was worth noting that the day Sindh took the chairmanship of Irsa, the PWC had started personal and political attacks on the chairman, accusing him of working against Punjab.

He said that the repetitive statements by the water council against the Irsa were, to say the least, provocative and not in good taste.

“The PWC’s hidden agenda behind the unfounded accusations appears to be ensuring the continuity of unfair water distribution practised by the former Irsa chief, Mr Memon maintained.

He said that the council was silent when the former chairman of Irsa, who hailed from Punjab, left no opportunity to deprive Sindh of its legitimate share in the Indus River water because he was the staunch protector of the water distribution under the unconstitutional decision of 1994.

He observed that the former chairman was legally proved wrong by the federal ministry of law and parliamentary affairs, declaring the 1994 decision null and void.

He said that during the former chairman’s tenure, Sindh was deprived of more than 40 per cent of its water share for two consecutive years, sinking rural people of the province in poverty, unemployment and social sufferings.

The SAF leader said if Punjab did not accept the 1991 accord, it should demand new accord and Sindh will welcome and support this demand.

He said that even the 1991 accord was imposed on Sindh during the dictatorial and anti-Sindh regime of Nawaz Sharif.

He reminded the PWC that Sindh was preparing its case against the unfair water distribution and illegal construction of Thal canal by Wapda for settlement by next democratic government.

Mr Memon demanded of the PTV authorities to start public debate on the problem of water distribution, inviting farmers’ representatives, water experts, intellectuals and political leaders from the four provinces to take part in the discussion.

Through this debate, he added, Sindh would like to tell the people of Pakistan and the world how it was deprived of its legitimate share in the Indus River water.

He also demanded of the federal government to compensate Sindh for its water robbed during the tenure of Punjab as the chairman of Irsa.

As the federal ministry of law and parliamentary affairs had declared the 1994 decision null and void, Sindh must be compensated under natural justice, Mr Memon argued.

He said that the SAF also wanted an explanation as to why the federal government was silent when the ex-chief of Irsa was working against Sindh and added that it was a travesty of justice that the federal ministry acted when the tenure of former Irsa chairman ended.