KARACHI, Sept 3: As battle of wits continued between the treasury and opposition benches on the admissibility of adjournment motions against the Greater Thal Canal project, senior minister Syed Sardar Ahmed opposed it and said the matter will be before the CCI when it is reconstituted.
The opposition pressed for admitting its adjournment motions pertaining to government’s alleged failure to pursue Sindh assembly’s resolutions against the construction of GTC.
But senior minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, who was given the floor by the Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah to complete his statement, opposed them, citing steps taken by the provincial government.
About the adjournment motion filed by Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the minister informed the House about various stages of getting CM’s approval and forwarding it to the federal government.
He informed the House that on May 16 the Cabinet Secretariat informed that the matter will be before the CCI as soon as it is reconstituted.
In view of the above measures, he claimed that the provincial government had neither shown any weakness nor had faltered.
It has taken all possible measures to pursue the two resolutions passed by this assembly, vigorously bringing the whole matter to the notice of the federal government, he said.
He emphasised that for the fist time President Pervez Musharraf on Aug 25 recognized that Kalabagh and Thal Canal are controversial issues. So it is wrong to presume that the federal government had not paid due attention to the water- related problems of Sindh.
On the contrary, he said, the head of the state has shown political will and determination to address the water issues.
Recognizing the controversial nature of these two projects and after hearing the opinion-makers, elected representatives and technocrats, the president has constituted two committees — technical and political committees — and has mandated them to address all water-related issues, including construction of reservoirs and their locations and also to recommend the quantum of water going Kotri down-stream, he emphasised.
While the political committee will comprise members of the parliament of all the four provinces, the technical committee is to be headed by an eminent irrigation engineer of Sindh, Mr. A.N.G. Abbasi. Mr. Abbasi has remained the secretary of irrigation and has been the foremost critic of Kalabagh Dam and Thal Canal, he said.
Sardar Ahmed informed the House that this committee would compliment the political committee that would place the whole matter before the National Assembly for a decision.
He said that technical committee had been tasked to study and recommend the quantum of water that is to flow down Kotri Bridge to keep the Indus alive. This issue has evaded resolution for the last 12 years, he said.
All these efforts are directed towards evolving a consensus, he said, adding “it will be appropriate to wait for a decision”.
He assured the House that the Sindh government was committed to protect water rights of the people of the province and make all possible efforts to pursue the case vigorously at all forums.
He said that in view of the above it is not necessary to make further deliberations in this House.
But leader of the opposition Nisar Khuhro was not satisfied and accused the government of failing to take any steps for pursuing both the resolutions passed by the provincial assembly.
He was critical of the reported statements made by Gen Musharraf on the question of GTC and Kalabagh dam and also raised the issue of delay in notifying the appointment of Mr Abbasi as head of the technical committee and its terms of reference.
He was also concerned over reports that water committee will be headed by the prime minister.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah, in a bid to convince the House on admissibility of his adjournment motion, said the provincial government had failed to lodge a complaint under article 155(4) and had only stated that a summary had been sent, and the matter would on the agenda of the CCI as and when it is constituted.
He alleged that the government had only stated that it had approached the federal government.
He was on his legs when the Speaker adjourned the session.
