KARACHI: Lahore moot helps evolve consensus on water projects: Opposition leaders claim
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Nov 3: Leader of the opposition in Sindh assembly Nisar Khuhro said on Monday that the weekend meeting of the opposition leaders in the Punjab capital was helpful in forging popular consensus on controversial issues for the federating units, including the water issue.
Nisar Khuhro was speaking at a news conference, with the deputy parliamentary leader of the MMA, Nasrullah Shaji, in his assembly chambers.
He said the opposition leaders also took exception to the arrest of the President of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, MNA, continued incarceration of Mr Asif Ali Zardari and harassment and victimization of the rank and file of the democratic resistance.
He claimed that opposition leaders of all the federating units were unanimous that Kalabagh dam and Greater Thal Canal projects should not be constructed.
He said that the Gwadar port project had become controversial because concerns of the local people were not being addressed. Similarly, NWFP was concerned over royalty issue related to the Tarbela dam.
He alleged that such controversial issues were being raised by Gen Pervez Musharraf’s regime to divide the nation which was harmful to the integrity of the country.
The meeting noted the rising opposition to Kalabagh Dam and the Greater Thal Canal, construction of new cantonments in Balochistan and intended settlement of outsiders on the Mekran Coast, especially in and around Gwadar, and rising sentiments against the domination of a big province that, in fact, along with other provinces, had become a hostage to the authoritarian whims of a military-bureaucratic clique.
Mr Khuhro said the meeting also deliberated on “erosion of the federation, federal structures, deprivation and alienation of the federating units and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and threats being posed to the legitimate interests and survival of not only the constituent units, but also the federation of Pakistan by the military regime.”
Mr Khuhro said the meeting also focused on distribution of resources in terms of NFC and the water issue and resolved that water resources be distributed in a fair and judicious manner among the federal units ie distribution of water should be at par the 1991 water accord and the operation of existing reservoir and Indus link canal as per internationally accepted principals.
It was emphasised that there should be no filling of reservoirs during shortage period. He said that the opposition leaders agreed to the need for developing and conserving water resources and supported only those polices, projects, dams and development schemes of countrywide significance that are undertaken with consent and by consensus of all federating units without damaging the legitimate interests of one federating unit or the other.
He said that as genuine representatives of the federating units and in view of the East Pakistan debacle, the opposition leaders agreed to struggle together for enhanced provincial autonomy by abolishing the concurrent list as provided in the original 1973 Constitution and inclusion of all opposition leaders in the provincial assemblies in the federal structures, such as National Finance Commission and Council of Common Interests and equal representation of four provinces in the decision-making bodies of federal corporations.
He said the Lahore meeting has also proposed that leader of the opposition should also be given representation on the NFC and CCI.
Mr Khuhro said that the federal government should immediately constitute the Eighth National Finance Commission, increase the share of the provincial governments viz a viz the federal government and distribute gross proceeds of the divisible pool taxes using a formula which takes into account the criteria, like population, revenue-collection and backwardness.
He said the leaders also demanded that financial rights of all the provinces as provided in the 1973 Constitution, such as net profit on hydel generation and royalty/surcharge on oil and gas may be implemented, in letter, and in spirit.
He said the Lahore meeting also agreed to oppose all such settlements or projects that tend to discriminate against one province or the other and may turn the majority into a minority and make them feel insecure.
The meeting also took serious notice of the violation of the 1973 Constitution, destruction of trichotomy of power and civilian institutions, lack of transfer of power to the elected representatives, erosion of provincial autonomy and negation of the basis of a democratic federation, discriminatory policies of the military junta against the smaller and deprived federating units and marginalization of civil society at the hands of military dictatorship.
The opposition leaders also expressed concern over the regime’s insistence on the substitution of 1973 Constitution by an arbitrary Legal Framework Order, allowing the chief of the army staff to also retain the office of the president in violation of the constitution.
He said that opposition leaders also demanded that all national identity cards issued to aliens and non-nationals be scrutinized by independent committees so that the electoral lists and other benefits obtained by such aliens and non-nationals are denied to them.
