ISLAMABAD, June 23: Opposition and nationalist parties have opposed construction of the Kalabagh dam and Greater Thal canal and said the projects posed a threat to the integrity of the federation.

The leaders of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Pakistan Oppressed Nations’ Movement (PONM), Awami National Party (ANP) and nationalist parties from Sindh were speaking at an All Pakistan Water Conference organized by the Anti-Greater Thal Canal Action Committee here on Thursday.

They were almost unanimous that construction of the two mega projects was illegal, unconstitutional and against the interests of the country since the Sindh Assembly had twice adopted unanimous resolutions against the canal and three provincial assemblies had passed resolutions against the dam.

Opposition leader in Senate Raza Rabbani said Pakistan was currently facing worst ever crisis of confidence as lack of confidence among provinces had reached its peak under the ‘Gen Musharraf’s government.’

He said the government was taking unconstitutional steps as instead of reactivating the Council of Common Interests, it was taking controversial decisions through hand-picked committees.

He said his party had not accepted the constitution of ‘so-called’ parliamentary and technical committees on the water issue and would also reject their recommendations.

Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of the ANP said Punjab had no right over the River Indus and three smaller provinces should not suffer because it had surrendered its three rivers to India in 1960.

Action committee Convenor Syed Qaim Ali Shah said: “Gen Musharraf is taking decisions on Kalabagh dam in a dictatorial manner.”

He said the president had announced his plan of holding meetings with Sindhi intellectuals but had not met any intellectual in the province and added no intellectual in Sindh would betray Sindhi people on the water issue.

Mr Shah said the PPP had been opposed to the construction of the Kalabagh dam since 1986 and it would not accept any ‘consensus created’ by the government.

He said the action committee had decided to visit Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan to explain its point of view on the dam issue to the people there.

Awami Tehrik chief Rasul Bux Palijo said the water-related decisions were being taken without the consent of the people of Sindh.

He demanded an international commission to investigate human and environmental damages caused by the decision not to release enough water downstream Kotri.

He challenged Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi to have a live debate with him on Kalabagh dam on television with experts from the World Bank, United Nations and other international forums acting as judges.

Mr Palijo said contaminated water was causing deaths of people in Sindh but the rulers were ‘enjoying sugar-coated discussions on development.’

PML-N leader Siddiqul Farooq said the Kalabagh dam should not be constructed unless a consensus was achieved on the issue.

He said it was wrong to see Punjab in the perspective of military generals because those who had usurped lands in Sindh were doing the same in Okara, and added Punjab and army were not synonymous.

Dr Qadir Magsi of the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party said the people of Sindh would not accept any consensus on Kalabagh dam ‘achieved through signatures of the president or the prime minister.’