Sindh firm on collective solution to canal water issue: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD, MAR 12 (DNA): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday expressed Sindh’s deep concerns over the construction of new canals from the Indus River, stressing that the issue must be resolved through consensus and the matter be reviewed by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

Speaking to the media at the Parliament House, Bilawal said that President Asif Ali Zardari had highlighted the government’s unilateral policies without consensus, particularly the decision to make new canals from the Indus.

“President Zardari shed light on the issue before the National Assembly and the current government. The government is under strain due to the issue, and it must be reviewed and resolved,” he said.

Bilawal said there is no reason for the government not to accept the suggestions. “The government would not want its projects to become controversial or harm the federating units in any way,” he said.

The PPP, he said, has been the first party to raise its voice against issues encroaching on the rights of the provinces. “Even in his last speech to the assembly, late Nawaz Yousuf Talpur raised the water issue, and so did other members of the PPP,” he said, adding that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, his ministers and the provincial bureaucracy too raised the issue on every forum.

To a question, Chairman Bilawal said the Council of Common Interests is the right forum to address the issue of water distribution and the PPP has constantly demanded for a meeting of the CCI to be convened. He asserted that some politicians belonging to certain factions are exploiting this national issue to further their politics, and attacking the sole party that always strives for parity.

‘Relief for our farmers’

Moreover, he said as far as the Green Pakistan project and garnering investment for agriculture, the PPP not only owns it but it is the actual philosophy of the party. “We not only want relief for our farmers but also wish for them to flourish,” he said.

To maximise results for the first phase, Bilawal said the areas of Punjab and Sindh that contribute to the agricultural economy need to be prioritised. “Small landowners must be given the power of collective bargaining when working together,” he said.

The chairman said the provincial governments must employ the public-private partnership model to introduce smart irrigation funded by the federal government, making collective farming a revolutionary move. He said the PPP is working on pilot projects across Sindh, including bio saline agriculture experiments in Thar.

Bilawal said he expects the prime minister to honour the basic points agreed upon with the PPP as part of their political understanding. “The prime minister instructed his team to address our grievances,” he said.

He said the PPP is the third-largest force in the National Assembly. “Our confidence level has not yet reached the stage where the PPP can become a coalition partner of the government,” the PPP chairman said.

‘Half-term prime minister’ formula

He said the PPP has always rejected the “half-term prime minister” formula. “Our relations with the government and political stance are in front of everyone,” he said. The PPP is currently working with the political party that engaged with it for the sake of the country.

Regarding the Iftar dinner with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Bilawal said that he is grateful to him for hosting the PPP’s delegation. He said inflation was the most important issue, upon which the parties contested the elections, and now that the economic indicators are improving, the PPP joins the rest of the country in congratulating PM Sharif.

He further said the PPP also raised its concerns on the deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan and KP. “From Parachinar to Bannu and Peshawar, including all tribal areas, the fire of terrorism continues to spread,” he said.

Alluding to the KP government, he said he has “never witnessed such a level of ‘disinterest’ by a provincial government when it comes to the issues concerning their own electorate.”

Bilawal said that he has requested the prime minister to press the provincial government towards resolving this. “It is also the federation’s responsibility to look after these issues, as they cannot abandon KP to the whims of the current provincial regime,” he said. He further said addressing the law and order situation is a collective responsibility.

On Balochistan, the chairman PPP said not only law and order is a pressing issue, but climate change is also sinking its claws into the province and the restoration work for devastation caused by the floods needs to be expedited.

Describing the president’s address to parliament as ‘historic’, he said this is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a civilian president addressed the parliament for the eighth time. He said President Zardari’s statesmanship and focus on the issues of the people, as well as advocating consensus-based reforms, was a reflection of the expectations of people.

“From economy to terrorism as well as agriculture and technology, president’s address touched upon all the vital issues faced by the country. The president, as a symbol of the federation, is the sole representative of all elected members of parliament, as well as the provincial assemblies.”

The PPP chairman said that it is the media’s responsibility to disseminate the truth only. “The opposition’s propaganda should not be repeated,” he said. About the upcoming budget, the chairman PPP said he hopes that the PPP and PMLN, as per their agreement, will collectively draft it along with PSDP for the four provinces.