HYDERABAD, Aug 30: Noted historian and MPA Dr Hamida Khuhro has welcomed the recent Sindh visit of the president to know the opinion of the province on construction of dams on the Indus River.

In a statement faxed to Dawn here on Friday, she said we should wait for the findings of the committee constituted by President Gen Pervez Musharraf for the purpose.

She suggested that the people and all stakeholders should be called to present their arguments before the committee so that it could make a comprehensive report.

The MPA said Sindh’s reservations regarding construction of dams upstream carried weight as such dams would reduce the downstream water flow and cut down the trickle to the delta.

She said Sindh did not trust assurances from the Centre and Punjab regarding water flow downstream as such promises were never honoured in the past. She said the trust must be restored before any schemes were implemented on the Indus River. She said central and Punjab governments should honour rules and agreements and restore the confidence of Sindh.

She recalled that the Indus Basin Treaty was imposed on Sindh without its consent which was badly affected by its provisions. She said the Chashma-Jhelum Canal was to be a flood canal and it was to draw water from the Indus only during three months of a year after due permission from Sindh but water was drawn through the canal regardless of whether there was any flood or not and without the permission of Sindh.

The MPA said the Taunsa Panjand was also used without any regard for Sindh’s needs and the province was never given water in time for its Rabi crop which had damaged agriculture of the province. She said water was distributed on historic use basis which deprived Sindh of its share.

She said no provision had been made for the flow of water to the delta, thus ruining “historic” communities which had made their living there. She said internationally recognized rights of lower riparian regions of the Indus were not considered in the country.

SU: The University of Sindh on Saturday announced the results of B.A (Hons) part-II and III English and M.A (previous) final, English semester examinations 2002.