KARACHI, Sept 2: Leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro on Tuesday asked the treasury benches not to runaway from sensitive issues, such as the Greater Thal Canal, as it was a matter concerning the future of Pakistan.
Recalling the dismemberment of the country without naming it, he said Pakistan had already suffered and such mistakes should not be repeated.
Mr Khuhro, who returned to the House after leading anti- Thal canal rallies in the interior of Sindh, was speaking at a press conference in his chamber at the Sindh Assembly building after the session on Tuesday.
Flanked by the parliamentary party leader of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Maulana Omar Sadiq, and senior PPP leaders Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Prof ND Khan, he explained why the on-going session was requisitioned.
The country, he said, could only be saved by listening to and paying attention to the grievances of the provinces.
He said thousands of people in every city and village had been recording their protest over the issue.
Mr Khuhro said in one of the two resolutions adopted unanimously by the Sindh Assembly against the construction of the Thal canal, there was a mention that the issue be taken up to the Council of Common Interests to comply with the provisions of article 155-A of the Constitution which calls for taking up the issue to the CCI if a dispute arises between provinces over the use of natural resources.
Mr Khuhro said that the CCI was mentioned in the resolution as National Assembly, provincial assemblies and Senate were already in existence. But, he lamented that the CCI had not yet been formed.
Likewise, he said, the Sindh government failed to approach the federal government, as a result, instead of stopping work on the Thal canal, an amount of Rs 1.5 billion had been apportioned to carry on work on construction of the Greater Thal Canal.
Mr Khuhro said that at the ECNEC and NEC meetings where Sindh was represented, no one opposed to the sanctioning of funds for the canal, nor it was opposed in the federal cabinet meeting when the budget was being discussed.
He said after recent rains when people suffered miseries, Gen Pervez Musharraf came to Sindh and thought it proper to raise the GTC and Kalabagh dam issues, saying that not only the GTC, but Kalabagh dam would also be built.
“Some people, aspiring to take political mileage from the water issue, are attempting to bring people to streets,” he attributed these remarks to Gen Musharraf, and said that he (Gen Musharraf) came again and while addressing the elite and mediamen, asserted that the GTC would be completed and Kalabagh Dam would also be built and if required, Sindh would be divided into three provinces.
He accused Gen Musharraf of sowing the seeds of hatred among provinces.
He said as the chief minister and other functionaries of the Sindh government had failed to pay due attention to the resolutions due to their weakness, the PPP had to requisition the session as this was the peaceful way of accountability.
He said that Syed Qaim Ali Shah had presented his views in the House in an effective manner and pointed towards the weaknesses of the government.
Referring to the incomplete statement of the senior minister, Syed Sardar Ahmed, he said: “We are disappointed at the attitude of the treasury benches.”
“The motion should have been admitted and members should have been provided an opportunity to deliberate all aspects of the issue before giving the floor to the senior minister.”
Mr Khuhro criticized the police for encircling 200 employees of the Dadu Sugar Mills who had come to Karachi to collect their salary cheques which were not paid to them.
He also referred to the point of order made by Sharfun Nisa in the assembly about the death of True Korai. Korai was arrested by the police and the next day his body was handed to his relatives, he said.
