KARACHI, Oct 20: Leaders representing different political parties at a seminar here on Monday vowed to resist the Kalabagh Dam and Greater Thal Canal projects tooth and nail.
They described motive for the implementation of the projects as “bringing the country’s water resources in the Centre’s control” and claimed that the aim was to deprive the smaller federating units of their due share in water.
Maintaining that the water reservoir issue is not merely a technical one, they stressed that “it is very much a political as well as human issue.”
By taking control of the water resources, they observed, the rulers wanted to impose the biggest federating unit’s hegemony on the smaller ones.
They asked the rulers to refrain from implementing the schemes that could cause a harm to the federation, and respect the mandate given to the elected Houses of the three federating units in the larger interest of the federation.
Entitled How to avert curse of the Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh, the seminar was organized by the Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) and chaired by its chairman Sayed Zain Shah.
The speakers included ANP leader Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan, Balochistan National Party chief and a former chief minister Akhtar Mengal, Pakhtoonkhawa Milli Awami Party leader Akram Shah, National Party chairman Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, Seraiki National Party leader Abdul Majid Kanjo, PPP MNAs Mujib Pirzada and Qurban Ali Shah, and the JUI, Sindh, General Secretary Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro.
Sindhi nationalist leaders Syed Jalal Shah, Gul Mohammad Jakhrani and Abdul Majid Nizamani of Sindh Abadgar Board also spoke on the occasion.
They emphasized the need for a greater unity among all political forces of the country on this vital issue which, as they put it, posed a threat to the very existence of the federation.
They categorically declared that the people of three smaller provinces would in no way favour the construction of either Kalabagh Dam or Greater Thal Canal. They urged the military rulers to do away with its plan which was bound to undermine the country’s integrity.
They referred to the consensus of the three provinces on the Kalabagh dam project and reminded the government that the assemblies of all these provinces had rejected the plan.
The speakers accused the successive military rulers of the country of weakening the federation by indulging in exploitation and adopting ill-advised policies with regard to the national resources.
They expressed their concern over attempts “being made now to colonize the coastal areas of Balochistan in the name of mega development projects.”
In his speech, Akbar Mengal warned the rulers of serious consequences if attempts were made to convert Balochs in Balochistan to minority. Such attempts had been resisted in the past and history would repeat itself once again, he added.
Mr Mengal assured the people of Sindh that their counterparts in Balochistan would fully support them in their struggle for their legitimate rights.
Asfandyar Wali Khan told the audience that Kalabagh Dam and the country could not go together and that they (the rulers) must choose either of them.
Reiterating his party’s stand and that of the like-minded parties that the dam issue was not just a technical one, he asserted that it was political as well as human issue. He categorically stated: “We will not allow the rulers to deprive us of our national identity.”
National Party chairman Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch stressed the need of unity among all progressive, democratic and nationalist forces of the country, saying that it was the only course to get due rights restored.
In his address, Chairman of Jeay Sindh Mahaz Sayed Zain Shah called for the formation of a united front on the single point agenda — Kalabagh Dam and Thal Canal projects — to frustrate the rulers’ designs.
Mr Shah said the purpose of convening the seminar was to devise a strategy and find ways and means to counter the rulers’ moves on these the vital issues.
Speaking earlier, JUI leader Dr Khalid Soomro accused the military rulers of pursuing the US policies on Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, when he criticized the role of progressive and nationalist forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, the ANP volunteers, tried to interrupt his speech. The ANP leader had to intervene to prevent them from creating a trouble.
The seminar was remarkably dominated by ANP volunteers wearing red caps and shirts.
RESOLUTIONS: A number of resolutions were adopted at the gathering. One of them condemned the construction of Greater Thal Canal and described it as ‘an attempt to usurp Sindh’s right on water’. It unanimously demanded an immediate halt to the construction of the canal.
It said: “Three out of the four provincial assemblies have passed consensus resolutions against the proposed Kalabagh dam, therefore, the federal government is asked to scrap the project once and for all.”
The seminar noted with concern that prime coastal land of Sindh was being allotted to various military and paramilitary institutions. It is urged that all such land be returned to Sindh and a strict ban be imposed on any future allotment of the land to any military and paramilitary institutions like cantonment boards, DHA, coast guards, CAA, Rangers and Navy.
Citing opposition from an overwhelming majority of the people of Balochistan to the continued exploitation of their natural resources in the interest of Punjab, and also to the construction of military cantonments in that province, the participants of the seminar demanded that all such schemes be abolished immediately.
It also demanded that the Gawadar Port Authority, established through a an ordinance, be abolished and the control of the port be given to Balochistan.
KARACHI, Oct 20: Leaders representing different political parties at a seminar here on Monday vowed to resist the Kalabagh Dam and Greater Thal Canal projects tooth and nail.
