HYDERABAD, Dec 6: An all-parties conference convened by the Awami Tehrik on Tuesday opposed the Kalabagh dam or any other mega water project on the River Indus. It called upon political parties to adopt a unified stand against the controversial project and organize their cadre to send a clear message to the government that not only the Kalabagh dam but other projects or even a carryover dam on the Indus was also not acceptable to people of Sindh.

It said three provincial assemblies had rejected the Kalabagh dam and other projects but the government was talking of evolving consensus on the issue.

The conference on “No Kalabagh dam or any mega water projects on the Indus”, held at a local hotel, adopted a joint declaration.

The conference was attended by leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, People’s Party Parliamentarians, Awami National Party, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, Sindh National Front, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Zain group), Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Khaliq Junejo group), National Workers Party, Jamhori Watan Party and the Sindh National Council, technocrats, representatives of growers and others.

AT chief Rasool Bux Palijo, who presided over the conference, exhorted Sindhis and political parties to organize themselves because the time had come to wage a decisive struggle. He said the APC was reflective of a warning that the Kalabagh project should be shelved for ever, construction of the greater Thal canal should be stopped and illegal flow of the Chashma Jehlum link canal should be stopped.

He criticized tokenism over serious issues of Sindh by various leaders and said they must ensure their presence during protests to monitor the situation.

He said the government would jeopardize integrity of the country if it announced construction of the Kalabagh dam. He said the project would harm economy of Sindh.

PML-N information secretary Siddiqul Farooq said the Constitution safeguarded rights of the lower riparian and Sindh being at the tail-end of the Indus had the first right over its waters.

He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf had raised the issue to divert people’s attention from his failed policies.

He said party leader Nawaz Sharif had rescinded his decision of constructing the dam after seeking views of the three provinces.

Mr Farooq proposed formation of a national jirga to discuss controversial issues.

Hakim Ali Zardari said the Chashma-Jehlum link canal built for controlling flood had been made a perennial canal in violation of an agreement between Sindh and Punjab. He said Punjab was cultivating lands after getting water from the Indus.

Former Sindh irrigation secretary Idrees Rajput said the Kalabagh dam was not feasible given the fact that sufficient water was not available in the Indus to fill the dam.

He said the actual cost of the project would be more than $6 billion in contrast to government’s claim of $5 billion. He added that currently there was 65 per cent water losses which could be controlled through lining of watercourses and desilting of canals.

He supported an argument that even the available water was not sufficient for agricultural needs while in future water shortage would increase by 43 per cent.

He said that when there was no water in the Indus River system, construction of the Kalabagh dam was purposeless. He said other options for power generation should be examined.

PPP MPAs Murad Ali Shah and Saussi Palijo dispelled the impression that the party had different policies in Punjab.

They wondered why the World Bank was ready to fund dams when it was against them in the past.

They regretted that they were not being allowed to move a resolution in the Sindh Assembly on the matter which was prorogued on Monday when Qaim Ali Shah wanted to table the resolution.

They said the dam project was also harmful for Sindh environmentally. They said diplomats and donors should be approached to apprise them of the negative effects the dam would have in Sindh.

Sindh Jamaat-i-Islami chief Dr Mumtaz Memon said the struggle of people of the province against the project and for their rights would be peaceful and democratic.

Sindh JUI-F general secretary Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro said people of Sindh would not accept any water project on the River Indus. He criticized the federal government for not listening to the viewpoint of other federating units.

He accused Gen Musharraf of putting solidarity of the country at stake.

STPP chief Dr Qadir Magsi proposed publishing of a document as a rejoinder to those who were propagating that the dam was necessary to avoid water from going into the sea.

He said Sindh’s interests should be given preference because water was a matter of life and death for the province.

He ridiculed the theory of consensus on the issue, saying anti-dam consensus had already been reached after the passage of resolutions by three provincial assemblies.

JSQM chairman Bashir Qureshi called for closing highways leading to Punjab. He added that a united stand should be taken on the dam issue.

JWP general secretary Rauf Sasoli said the government had no mandate to take such decisions. He said Balochistan’s prosperity was also linked with Sindh.

He criticized the government for launching an operation in Balochistan and raising the issue of the Kalabagh dam.

JWP’s Yousuf Masti Khan said the Dec 22 rally should be country-wide.

SNF general secretary Gul Mohammad Jakhrani was of the view that there should be a countrywide movement against the dam by the PPP and the PML-N which were two mainstream parties.

Zubair Khan, president of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Sindh chapter, Abdul Khaliq Junejo, chief of his own faction of the JSM, Syed Zain Shah, head of his own faction of the JSM, Sultan Khan Mandokhel of the ANP, Hussain Bux Thebo of the Sindh National Council, Abdul Majeed Nizamani of the Sindh Abadgar Board, Nazeer Memon, irrigation expert, and Zulfikar Halepoto also spoke on the occasion.

DECLARATION: The APC adopted a unanimous declaration. It demanded formation of a tribunal comprising international experts and organizations to decide judicious distribution of water. It warned the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank against providing loans or resources for mega water projects.

It said the government had no right to announce construction of the dam which would destroy Sindh.

“The project which has become a bone of contention between people of the federating units cannot be in the interest of the country as it has already been rejected by three provincial assemblies,” said the declaration.

It said that the so-called consensus on the issue was a mockery with people. It said the project had technically proved unfeasible.

It said distribution of water was a serious issue for which universally-recognized principles should be adhered to and without consent of the lower riparian, no mega water project at upstream should be built.

The APC said that those who supported the dam would be considered traitors. It appealed to people to participate in the Dec 22 rally in Karachi.