HYDERABAD, May 8: The Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) at a meeting held here on Wednesday criticized the procedure adopted to approve the greater Thal canal project.

It said the project had already been started and legal and moral approval was taken at a later stage.

The meeting expressed grief and surprise over the grant of certification by the Indus River System Authority for the construction of the greater Thal canal especially when the chairman of the Wapda had announced to hold a workshop on May 29-30 on water resources and the unity among the provinces.

It observed this was a negation of the proposed workshop as the growers of Sindh, agricultural organizations and the Sindh Water Committee had expected positive results from the workshop.

It recalled that when the date of the Irsa meeting for May 7 was announced, the SAB in a communication had requested the chairman of the Wapda that in view of the proposed workshop, the water issue, which had become controversial, should not be touched.

The meeting pointed out that after the issuance of the certification about the Thal canal, no positive results could be achieved at the workshop.

The meeting observed that without guarantee for the judicious distribution of water and respect for the opinion of other provinces, the participation of the SAB and other agricultural organizations at the workshop was doubtful.

It demanded of President Gen Pervez Musharraf and the chairman of the Wapda that in the interest of unity of Pakistan and justice, the decision about the certification of the greater Thal canal should be suspended till the outcome of the proposed workshop.

Abdul Majeed Khan Nizamani presided over the meeting.

JSQM: The central leadership of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) on Wednesday rejected the decision of the Irsa about the construction of the Thal canal and said the JSQM did not recognize the Irsa as all the organizations, including the Irsa, were under the control of Punjab.