A meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) has been convened for May 2 (Friday) to discuss the canals project, a day after the federal government put the contentious project on hold following weeks of protests in Sindh.
According to a notification issued on Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned the 52nd meeting of the CCI at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Federal Minister Amir Muqam will attend the session. The chief ministers of all four provinces have been invited to participate in the meeting.
Law Minister Azad Nazeer Tarar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Science and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal will also be part of the session.
Special invitations have been extended to the minister for petroleum, minister for water resources, and the minister for power division. The chief secretaries of all provinces have also received special invitations to attend.
A day earlier, PM Shehbaz, during a joint press conference with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stated that no new canal would be constructed without mutual understanding on the platform of the CCI.
PM Shehbaz and PPP chief Bilawal briefed the media about the decisions made during their meeting. The PPP delegation, led by Bilawal, included Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, PPP Secretary General Humayoon Khan, PPP Secretary Information Nadeem Afzal Chan, Shazia Marri, Jam Khan Shoro, and Jameel Ahmed Soomro.
The Prime Minister said the federal government was engaging all provincial governments to develop a long-term consensus roadmap for the development of agricultural policy and water management infrastructure across Pakistan.
“We discussed the issue of canals with great seriousness, and he explained in his proposals that Pakistan is a federation and its requirements are that the issues among the provinces should be resolved with mutual sincerity and good intentions and in a good manner,” he added.
The federal government’s proposed project to construct six canals to irrigate Punjab’s Cholistan desert under the Green Pakistan Initiative, launched in February, caused friction between the PML-N and its ruling coalition partner, which governs Sindh.
‘Will Oppose Any Project Opposing Sindh’s Interests’
Addressing a press conference in Karachi earlier today, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the issue surrounding the controversial canal projects was moving towards a resolution and urged protesters to now “turn their protest into celebration.”
He stated that in a democracy, the voice of opposition must also be heard and acknowledged. “We are engaging with the protesters as per the direction of the PPP chairman,” he said, adding that senior PPP leaders Nisar Khuhro and Khursheed Shah were present at the protest site.
“If necessary, I will personally meet the demonstrators as well,” he assured. He added that those who want to run campaigns against the party are free to do so, as protest is a democratic right.
Murad emphasized that the issues faced by the people of Sindh were being resolved through the leadership of Bilawal. “We will oppose any project that goes against Sindh’s interests,” he stated.
Commenting on the protests, the Chief Minister said the ongoing demonstrations have severely impacted the economy, and roads that are currently blocked should be cleared. “Some are against the construction of canals, but some are just opposing the PPP,” he noted.
Murad said the Prime Minister himself acknowledged that this matter holds greater importance than several federal issues. “The matter of the canals is now over,” he claimed.
He also criticized the narrative being built around a so-called usurpation of Sindh’s rights, saying, “To dispel such narratives, Bilawal is directly engaging with the public.”
