PPP announces protest rallies across Sindh on 25th March against controversial six canals project on Indus River.
Sidra Arif
PPP announces protest rallies across Sindh on 25th March against controversial six canals project on Indus River.
Karachi:The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has announced a protest movement to hold rallies on 25th March in all district headquarters of Sindh against the proposed controversial six canals project on the Indus river and terming the centre's move illegal and unconstitutional. Addressing a press conference on friday in Sindh Assembly Karachi, PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, accompanied by Waqar Mehdi and Aijaz Dhamrah, stated that the Peoples party would hold rallies and demonstrations across Sindh against the controversial six canals project on March 25.
He emphasized that PPP would not only organize protest rallies but also hold public gatherings and street demonstrations against the illegal six canals project, which, in his view, should not proceed. He declared that PPP would challenge the six-canal project on all constitutional forums, including assemblies, and on the streets, accusing the federal government of reviving dictatorial practices by initiating the construction of the Cholistan Canal without obtaining approval from any constitutional forum.
Khuhro recalled that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had previously built the Thal Canal without constitutional approval, and now the federal government, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was acting in a similar authoritarian manner with the Cholistan Canal and other controversial canals projects.
He accused the Punjab government of allocating funds in the budget for these controversial canals without constitutional authorization, questioning how such construction could begin without approval from any constitutional forum,he added.
khuhro said this move by the federal and Punjab governments was unconstitutional.
Khuhro asserted that PPP would not allow anyone to divert canals from the Indus River, pledging support for protests against the canal projects from all sectors of society. He urged the people of Sindh to unite in collective resistance against these projects.
He noted that the canals project is attack on Sindh's water rights and PPP will fight against controversial canals project through constitutional and democratic means.
He also criticized other political parties for not organizing protests against the canal projects despite their frequent criticism of PPP. He stated that PPP was ready to launch a joint struggle against these projects and would reach out to all political and nationalist parties, lawyers, and civil society leaders to form a united front.
Emphasizing the severity of the issue, he claimed that the Cholistan Canal project was even more dangerous than the Kalabagh Dam, warning that it could lead to the desertification of Sindh.
Khuhro expressed confidence that just as the PML-N government in the past was forced to abandon the Kalabag Dam project due to public opposition, the current PML-N-led federal government would also have to withdraw from these six canals project.
He further mentioned that President Asif Ali Zardari had condemned the federal government’s unilateral decision on the canal projects on the floor of the house proving that the President himself was not involved in the matter. He insisted that the Cholistan Canal and the other canals projects had not been approved by any constitutional body, including the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).NEC and CCI.
He also noted that the Sindh Assembly had already passed a resolution against the six-canals project, adding that allegations against PPP regarding this issue were part of a conspiracy for formation of a so-called national government by undermining democracy.
Referring to former minister Fawad Chaudhry’s hints about the formation of a national government,
Khuhro remarked that in past during Pervez Musharraf’s era, when the Greater Thal Canal was constructed through an executive order, despite opposition from PPP and other parties, and now the PML-N government is adopting a similar approach.
He said by stressing that Pakistan was no longer under a dictatorship and that such unilateral decisions would not be tolerated.
Khuhro warned that cholistan canal project is even more dangerous for sindh than the controversial kalabag dam,as it could render the province barren.
He said the six canals project is illegal and should not be built, he urged the people of Sindh to unite in the struggle against these projects to ensure the prorection of the Indhs River's water.
