CCI Meeting Scheduled to Address Canals Project

A Council of Common Interests (CCI) session has been scheduled for May 2 (Friday) to deliberate on the canals initiative. This follows the federal government’s decision to postpone the controversial project after several weeks of demonstrations in Sindh.

A notification issued on Friday stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for the 52nd CCI gathering at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Federal Minister Amir Muqam are expected to be in attendance. All four provincial chief ministers have been invited to participate in the discussions.

Law Minister Azad Nazeer Tarar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Science and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal are also slated to participate in the session.

Special invitations have been sent to the minister for petroleum, the minister for water resources, and the minister for power division. The chief secretaries of all provinces have also been specially invited.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz, in a joint press conference alongside Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stated that any new canal construction would require mutual agreement through the CCI platform.

PM Shehbaz and PPP chief Bilawal briefed the media regarding the decisions made during their meeting. The PPP delegation, headed by Bilawal, included Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, former premier 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 noted that the federal government is working with all provincial governments to create a long-term, unified plan for agricultural policy development and water management infrastructure across Pakistan.

“We addressed the issue of canals with significant attention. It was explained that Pakistan is a federation, and inter-provincial issues should be resolved with mutual understanding, sincerity, and goodwill,” he added.

The federal government’s proposal to build six canals for irrigating Punjab’s Cholistan desert under the Green Pakistan Initiative, which began in February, caused friction between the PML-N and its coalition partner, which governs Sindh.

During a press conference in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah stated that the contentious canal projects issue is nearing resolution and urged protestors to transform their demonstrations into celebrations.

He highlighted that, in a democracy, dissenting voices should be acknowledged. “We are engaging with the protesters as directed by the PPP chairman,” he stated, adding that senior PPP leaders Nisar Khuhro and Khursheed Shah were present at the protest site.

“If needed, I will meet with the demonstrators personally,” he affirmed. He also said that those wishing to campaign against the party are free to do so, as protesting is a democratic right.

Murad emphasized that the issues impacting the people of Sindh were resolved through Bilawal’s leadership. “We will oppose any initiative that harms Sindh’s interests,” he declared.

Commenting on the demonstrations, the CM mentioned that the ongoing protests have significantly impacted the economy and that blocked roads should be cleared. “Some oppose the construction of canals, while others are simply opposing the PPP,” he observed.

Murad said that the Prime Minister himself admitted that this matter is more important than various federal issues. “The canal issue is now concluded,” he claimed.

He also criticized the narrative surrounding the alleged usurpation of Sindh’s rights, adding, “Bilawal is directly engaging with the public to counter such narratives.”