LAHORE: As the canals controversy continued to rile Sindh, the Punjab government on Wednesday said that though not a single canal had been constructed on the Indus River so far, the project was still under consideration.

“Punjab does not need any external dictation regarding the use of river floodwater. Punjab is fully sovereign in utilising its own resources and that Sindh has no right to object to Punjab’s development projects,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told a presser here on Wednesday.

Flanked by Punjab Agriculture Minister Ashiq Hussain Kermani, Azma Bokhari said that the proposed canal project was still under consideration and only excess floodwater would be utilised for the purpose.

“This initiative aims to benefit farmers and promote agricultural development,” she claimed. Earlier this week, the Sindh chief minister also claimed that work on the six canals project had been halted since July 2024.

According to the minister, canals had not been constructed yet and serious efforts were underway to build consensus. “Differences cannot be resolved through threats — dialogue is the way forward,” she said.

Ms Bokhari further said the PPP had ruled Sindh for the past 16 years, and farmers there still faced fundamental issues. “If PPP resorts to misleading statements, we will not remain silent. Every allegation will receive a befitting response,” she warned.

On the other hand, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui said the alliance between PML-N and PPP, particularly on key national issues of water resources, would remain unaffected.

“Differences on national matters are natural and can only be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding. Negotiation and constructive conversation are the only ways forward,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2025