HYDERABAD: Leaders of Save Indus River Movement have accused Pakistan Peoples Party’s top leadership of acting hypocritically over six canals project and said on the one hand President Asif Zardari approves the project and on the other hand his party’s Sindh government is opposing it before public.

They rejected Mr Zardari’s speech in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on Dec 27, 2024, and said he had already approved the Green Pakistan Initiative while chairing a meeting at President House on July 8, 2024.

They said that creation of a new command area for six canals on Indus River would seriously affect Sindh’s demography.

The leaders, Syed Zain Shah, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Ayaz Latif Palijo and others, were speaking to journalists before leading ‘Bedari march’ from Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas against the six canals near Jhakra Phatak on the outskirts of the city on Saturday.

Zain Shah, convener of the movement, told journalists that no amendment to Irsa Act 1992 was acceptable to people as Sindh remained at receiving end in terms of water shortage and often ended ups facing more shortage than other provinces.

He said that agricultural productivity had dropped in Sindh over the years and if new commands for canals were created then Sindh would be completely destroyed. The Green Pakistan Initiative was aimed at creating new command areas, he said and urged the federal and provincial governments to cancel the decisions.

He said that the canal commands project was part of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) therefore this ‘initiative’ should be shelved immediately.

Agreeing with Zain Shah, Grand Democratic Alliance secretary general Dr Safdar Abbasi asked the president to contradict Sindh government’s viewpoint on the six canals if no such decisions for the approval of canals had been taken by him.

He wondered how would people of Hyderabad who were dependent on Phulelli Canal’s water and people of Karachi dependent on K-IV would get water if the six canals were built.

He recalled that Water Apportionment Accord 1991 was accepted with reservations as flows’ statistics showed out of 33 years Sindh faced water shortage in 25 years. The canals project was unviable even from agricultural point of view, he said.

Accusing PPP of acting hypocritically on the canals project and said on the one hand President Zardari approved the project and on his party’s government in Sindh was opposing it. “Why don’t you leave the federal government propped up on PPP’s crutches,” he said.

Zain Shah outright rejected president’s speech made in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on Dec 27 last year, saying his statement did not have any legal value because he had himself approved the project in July 8, 2024 meeting.

He said that he had taken this decision unconstitutionally hence he should rather resign from presidency.

Zain Shah said that Z.A. Bhutto, who was considered a powerful prime minister, had also given such a statement on Chashma-Jhelum link canal but he could not get this implemented. “C-J link canal is flowing regularly. Rather, perennial canal system has been developed out of C-J [link canal],” he deplored.

He said that two canals were to be taken out from Kalabagh Dam, which was resisted but now six canals were being built on Indus. These canals would irrigate around 8m acres of land through short and long term projects, he said.

He urged Sindh government to take a clear position in CCI on the canals project and get the canals shelved.

Earlier, Quami Awami Tehreek leader Ayaz Latif Palijo said while speaking to media persons at Hatri bypass that federal minister Ahsan Iqbal had sought to downplay protests against canals in Sindh.

He said that Iqbal knew Sindh’s existing canals were not getting adequate water. “Mr Zardari got power under a precondition that in lieu of power he will hand over Sindh’s coal, gas, petrol, land and water because Zardari wants to see his son become prime minister,” he said.

He said that Bilawal would tell all deputy commissioners to surrender Sindh’s land. “Bilawal sahib Sindh is paying the price for your wish to become premier,” he said.

He warned PPP, powers that be, Punjab’s people and parliament of serious consequences if better sense did not prevail. Otherwise, all the highways would be blocked by people of Sindh, he warned. Pakistan needed a leadership that united people while these rulers were dividing the masses, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025