HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh information secretary Ajiz Dhamra has warned that his party will not spare a moment to quit the government if constitutional forums fail to decide canals issue on Sindh government’s request.

Dhamra told a news conference at local press club on Wednesday that PPP was part of parliamentary process and it had therefore invoked jurisdiction of constitutional forums like Council of Common Interests (CCI) -- to resolve such issues.

He said that Sindh government was giving lands for corporate farming in areas where uncultivable lands would be brought under cultivation through use of groundwater resources and lining of distributaries.

He said that a former chief minister who had signed 1991 Water Accord was criticizing PPP at an election rally in Umerkot. Those who supported Kalabagh dam were also present on the stage, he said.

He said that April 17 by-election would surprise many. Electioneering in Umerkot had remained peaceful and April 18 public meeting would show masses were connected

with PPP. But at the moment the party was being dubbed as traitor, he said.

He said that nobody was asking any question who had approved Jalalpur canal in 2022 during Imran Khan-led PTI government which was opposed by PPP’s representative.

Referring to Zain Shah’s statement, he said that opponents were hinting at possibility of canals’ construction by linking them with availability of flows in the system. “This statement shows that cat is finally out of the bag,” he remarked.

He said that Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) was supported by some opposition leaders in their meeting of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) as well. PPP took up the issue of canals on point of order but PTI boycotted the session and did not discuss it, he said.

He said that chief minister had written a letter for CCI meeting as per requirement after Sindh Chief Secretary’s reminders sent to CCI. The president could not give approval to any project constitutionally but who would answer question that people within GDA were also in favour of GPI, he said.

He said that PPP was ready to join any movement led by civil society on common slogan of ‘no more canals on Indus’. In anti-Kalabagh dam movement nationalist parties’ leaders also worked with PPP, he said.

He said that PPP was not interested in continuing its support to federal government and it would withdraw it the moment constitutional forum did not decide canals issue on request of Sindh government.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2025