ISLAMABAD: Veteran Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nawab Yousuf Talpur on Friday offered to resign from the chairmanship of the National Assem­bly’s Standing Committee on Water Resources following a protest walkout by the Sindh government officials over the failure of a sub-committee to submit its report on the issue of water theft.

Talking to Dawn after the committee’s meeting, Mr Talpur termed the walkout, led by the provincial irrigation minister, a breach of privilege of the committee members, and said he would inform Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah about the incident.

Mr Talpur said he had no objection over the walkout as the minister leading it was a politician, but the officials of the irrigation department, who also left the meeting without waiting for his ruling, had no right to do so.

Sindh minister Shoro protests failure of sub-committee to submit report on water theft

“I will talk to (PPP Chairman) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and tell him that if the Sindh government representatives do not trust me despite knowing that I am also from the same province then I can resign from the committee’s chairmanship,” Mr Talpur declared.

Earlier, during the committee’s meeting, Sindh minister Jam Khan Shoro protested over the failure of the sub-committee, led by MNA Khalid Magsi, to submit its report on the issue of water theft after visiting the barrages and dams.

Mr Magsi had informed the committee chairman that the report was ready but he had certain “objections” to some points and, therefore, sought more time to submit it.

Mr Shoro protested over the non-submission of the report despite the committee’s directives in the last meeting held on May 25, and protested he was also not being provided the minutes of the last meeting.

Talking to reporters after staging the walkout, the Sindh minister expressed surprise over non-availability of the minutes of the last meeting, stating he had been informed that the minutes could not be provided without the approval of National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

Besides Mr Talpur, both the federal and provincial ministers as well as the NA speaker belong to the PPP, which is the ruling party in Sindh and a major coalition partner in the Centre.

During the previous meeting of the NA committee on May 25, the members had been informed that Sindh was being deprived of 46 per cent of its water share in Punjab (between Taunsa and Guddu barrages) and Balochistan was losing almost 84pc of its share in Sindh.

Meanwhile, the NA committee on Friday also directed the Water and Power Development Authority to ensure timely payment of compensation to the remaining affectees of Mangla Dam, and also called for timely completion of Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme K-IV.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2022