CCI Meeting Scheduled to Address Canals Project

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

According to an official statement released on Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the 52nd CCI meeting 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. Furthermore, 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 will also be present at 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.

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

PM Shehbaz and PPP chief Bilawal briefed the media on the outcomes of 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 commented that the federal government is working with all provinces to establish a comprehensive, agreed-upon strategy for agricultural development and water management infrastructure throughout the nation.

“We addressed the canals issue with significant attention, and he articulated in his proposals that Pakistan is a federation, necessitating that inter-provincial matters are resolved through mutual understanding and goodwill,” he added.

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

During a press conference in Karachi earlier today, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah indicated that the contentious canal project issue was nearing resolution and encouraged protesters to transform their demonstrations into celebrations.

He stated that in a democracy, dissenting voices must be acknowledged. “We are engaging with the protesters as per the direction of PPP chairman,” he said, noting the presence of senior PPP leaders Nisar Khuhro and Khursheed Shah at the protest site.

“If required, I am prepared to personally engage with the demonstrators,” he affirmed. He added that those wishing to campaign against the party are welcome to do so, as protest is a fundamental democratic right.

Murad underscored that Sindh’s challenges were being addressed under Bilawal’s leadership. “We will oppose any initiative detrimental to Sindh’s interests,” he declared.

Reflecting on the protests, the CM noted their adverse impact on the economy and advocated for the clearance of blocked roads. “Some are opposing canal construction, while others are simply against the PPP,” he observed.

Murad mentioned the Prime Minister’s recognition of the matter’s importance, surpassing several federal concerns. “The canals issue is now concluded,” he asserted.

He also criticised the narrative surrounding the purported infringement of Sindh’s rights, stating, “To counter such narratives, Bilawal is directly engaging with the public.”