LARKANA, Oct 13: Sindh People’s Party Parliamentarians president Nisar Ahmad Khuhro has rejected the formation of a parliamentary committee for water, terming it unconstitutional.
Talking to this correspondent here on Monday, he said Senator Nisar Memon was heading the committee who as the head of “The Reformers” had opposed construction of the Kalabagh dam.
He regretted that the speaker of the National Assembly had formed the committee entrusting a member of the Senate to carry out the study.
The opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly said prior to this the constitution of a technical committee for consensus on the water issue was announced by President Gen Pervez Musharraf followed by another committee in the chairmanship of the federal minister for industries but the committees were yet not functioning.
He said the people of Sindh had already rejected the committees and those who were launching a campaign in support of construction of dams would be known in history as traitors.
The PPP leader observed that the committee headed by Senator Memon was assigned to prepare a report showing that a small quantity of water was required to stop sea erosion so as to pave the way for construction of dams.
Replying to a question regarding a pest attack on rice and cotton crops, Mr Khuhro said the government had not informed growers about the possible pest attack in the wake of heavy rains. He said this showed incompetence of federal and Sindh governments. He said the government had huge amount for constructing the Thai canal but did not have fund to spray rice and cotton crops with pesticides.
He also criticized the government for not considering reservation of the people regarding the design of the Left Bank Outfall Drain which destroyed Badin during the recent rains.
Our Dadu Correspondent adds: Talking to newsmen at the residence of PPP MNA Rafique Ahmed Jamali here on Monday, Mr Khuhro alleged that the federal minister for industries and production, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, was working against Prime Minister Jamali since the day he was made convener of the media committee for the issue of construction of the Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal.
He said that the Kalabagh dam and the greater Thal canal were dangerous for the agriculture of Sindh and after their construction, the economy of the province would totally collapse.
He said that Liaquat Ali Jatoi was pretending to be loyal to President Gen Pervez Musharraf because NAB cases were pending against him and the general was aware of it.
He said that Senator Nisar Ahmed Memon was trying to motivate the people of Sindh for the construction of the Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal.
He said that the people of Sindh would resist all such moves.