PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday stated that his party rejected the government’s canal project, calling it “unilateral” and warning that it will harm farmers in Punjab.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Chief of the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir inaugurated the ambitious Cholistan project to irrigate south Punjab’s lands on February 15 amid public uproar and strong reservations in Sindh.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against the construction of six new canals on the Indus River in March. The resolution also demanded an immediate halt to any plans, activities or work related to the controversial project until an agreement with all provincial governments, particularly Sindh, was reached to ensure that the rights of the province were fully protected and respected.

Addressing a PPP rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on the anniversary of former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s execution today, the Bhutto scion reaffirmed that the PPP as a party had always fought for peoples’ rights to water.

“The workers of the PPP have grown old fighting for the fair distribution of water,” Bilawal emphasised. “Be it Musharraf’s unilateral canal proposal, or that of the PTI founder, there is no forum where we have not taken up our struggle.

“If you read the IRSA report, it shows that there are water shortages in Punjab as well,” he added. “If we take water from here (Sindh), it’ll harm farmers in South Punjab. These are reservations we have had for a very long time.”

Bilawal said that he was the first to raise his voice against the canal project, adding that the party expressed frustration with the federal government at its central executive committee meeting in January.

He mentioned that the document about the canal project was presented at the meeting, where it was rejected by the party.

“I said that we would not allow this project to happen … the PPP said that it did not support this unilateral decision,” Bilawal said. “Even the President of Pakistan said in a joint address before the Senate that he stands against the government’s unilateral decisions, as they bring harm to the federation.”