A meeting of the Common Interest Council (CCI) supported the federal government movement on Monday to stop the initiative of the six new channels so expelled in the Indo River until the “mutual understanding” could be achieved between the provinces following an extensive setback to the project.
The Chief of the Army, the general also Munir, and the Prime Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, inaugurated the ambitious Cholistan project to water the lands of South Punjab on February 15 in the middle of a public uproar and strong reserves in Sindh.
After months of protests from several fragments of society, as well as the opposition of Sindh, the federal government on April 23 announced that it was stopping the contentious project until a consensus could be achieved on the subject in the CCI. The decision occurred in the midst of the uncertainty created by the unilateral suspension of India of the Indo Water Treaty (IWT) last week.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Vice Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Federal Minister of Cashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam Affairs and the four provincial main ministers attended the CCI meeting today, which was advanced since its previous date of May 2.
A press release issued after the meeting said: “The CCI supports the federal government policy as followed: the federal government has decided that new channels will not be built without mutual understanding of CCI. It has been decided that the federal government will not move more until mutual understanding is evolved between the provinces.”
The ICC also supported the government’s movement to involve all provincial governments to draw a long -term consensus roadmap for the development of agricultural policy and the water management infrastructure in Pakistan and form a committee with representation of the Federation and all the provinces to relieve the concerns of all provinces and guarantee the safety of food and ecological of the country.
He added that the Committee would propose solutions to the long -term agricultural needs of Pakistan and the use of water from all provinces in line with the water distribution agreement, 1991 and the water policy, 2018.
“Water is one of the most precious products and the creators of the Constitution recognized this, which requires that all water disputes resolve in a friendly way through mutual understanding and concerns of any province will be addressed through due diligence among all interested parties,” said the press release.
As a result, the statement said that the CCI also decided that the Executive Committee of the Provisional Approval of the National Economic Council of February 7, 2024, for the construction of new channels and the water availability certificate of the Indo River System (IRSA) Water Availability Certificate issued at its meeting dated January 17, 2024.
The planning and IRSA division was ordered to guarantee a consultation with all interested parties, in the “interest of national cohesion and to address each and every one of the concerns until mutual understanding is reached.”
The statement said that the CCI also strongly condemned the “unilateral, illegal and irresponsible actions of India after Pahalgam’s attack.”
He said that the Common Council of Interests of the CCI, while representing national aspirations, transmitted a message of unity and solidarity for the whole country and the nation in the context of any “possible Indian aggression and misfortune.”
The CCI said that Pakistan was a peaceful and responsible country that knew how to defend himself. The statement added that all provincial ministers also promised to “support the shoulder with the federal government against the illegal actions of India.”
Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said today that the Federal Government convened the meeting for today. In a statement issued by its spokesman Husain Mansoor, Memon said a decision would be made on the subject of the channels at the CCI meeting.
“A decision will be made according to the discussion between [PPP Chairman] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and the Prime Minister, and the question of the channels will end, “he said, referring to Friday’s meeting between the allies of the coalition.
The previous meeting amid increasing concerns of merchants and the business community as protests against the project has paralyzed interprovincial traffic by blocking national roads in parts of Sindh.
Legal fraternity has been organizing a sitting at the Bypass Babarloi in the district of Sindh Khairpur since April 18.
Talking with Geographical newsMemon confirmed that the Sindh government had made the request that the meeting was coming due to ongoing protests.
The minister pointed out that the CCI meeting should be convened on May 2, but despite that, “some groups refused to end the protests until the CCI meeting and its [decision’s] Formal announcement ”is made.
“In that, the government of Sindh asked the prime minister to convene the meeting today, and will take place at night in Islamabad,” Memon added.
Responding to a consultation, he said that the provincial government had also requested to call the meeting “soon, but taking into account the state of the country at this time, it was difficult.”
“We had to appeal again as the transport had stopped due to the protests, which resulted in an economic loss for the companies and farmers,” said the minister.
When asked about the Action Plan of the Government of Sindh if the protests on the roads continued even after the CCI meeting, Memon said: “We hope that if we do not give them an excuse, although there was also no excuse before, but the government believes in the dialogue.”
He stressed: “The public interest is important for us at this time, since it was creating problems for the business community and farmers.”
In a statement published by the Sindh information department in X Today, Interior Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar said that the Government recognized the right to peaceful protest, but asked lawyers not to believe difficulties for the public.
He said that legal measures would not be taken against those who protest peacefully and urged lawyers to “monitor criminals around them.”
Conveyors to keep the protest out of Sindh cm house today
To protest the continuous blockade, the All -Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance (APGTA) announced plans to celebrate a manifestation outside the CM house of Sindh in Karachi at 4 pm today (Monday).
Yesterday, Nisar Jafry, from APGTA, said he had received a Memon call, also the Minister of Transportation of Sindh, asking him to cancel today’s demonstration with the assurance that the roads will be clarified soon.
Jafry said that the movement of around 30,000 trucks and tankers was prevented. He said that, on average, a vehicle carries goods worth RS10 million, either to import, export or produce locally.
In his statement, Memon had asked all political parties and the legal community to reopen the roads to guarantee the smooth flow of the transport of goods, so that no one suffers an additional financial or economic loss.
Manufacturers said they have been forced to stop production due to the shortage of raw materials, while port authorities also anticipate severe congestion.
The last months have seen the national protests of political parties, including the ally of the ruling coalition and the residents against the proposed project. The Sindh Assembly also approved a unanimous resolution against the project in March.
