LAHORE, Jan 11: The Punjab Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday demanding that the federal government re-organise the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) to avert controversies between federating units in the future.

Tabled by Pakistan Muslim League-Q’s Mohsin Leghari, the resolution said: “The house is of the opinion that to avert any controversy on the water issue in future and ensure implementation of the 1991 water accord in the provinces, Irsa should be re-organised.

“Moreover, the fifth member of IRSA should be impartial who should be a resident of Islamabad or Azad Jammu and Kashmir”.

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah tried to provoke the opposition, saying Punjab’s rights on water had been usurped during the era of a dictator, and the then ruling party had passed resolutions to get him elected 10 times in uniform.

The opposition protested the minister’s remarks. However, the chair asked Mr Sanaullah whether he was endorsing or opposing the move. The minister said he was just “showing mirror (to the PML-Q)”.

When the house passed the resolution, Senior Minister Raja Riaz, who holds the portfolio of irrigation and water, said he should have been given time to respond to the resolution.

Rejecting the senior minister’s claim, the chair said he could oppose the move in time to respond to it.

The house also unanimously passed another resolution demanding gas supply to Punjab on merit. The resolution was moved by Khawaja Islam.

It stated that non-availability of gas and loadshedding had resulted in closure of factories and industries making people jobless.