The imprisoned Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi of PTI has criticized the federal government of ignoring the constitutional framework by not presenting the Cholistan canals project before the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
The opposition leader claimed in an open letter titled “Confused Coalition Partners” received on Friday from the Kot Lakhpat Jail that the federal government’s unilateral decision to create six canals on River Indus violated the spirit of the Water Accord 1991 signed by all the federating units.
Declaring the PPP chairman “sounded confused” as he was delivering “contradictory statements,” Mr Qureshi, who also leads the Farmers Association of Pakistan, launched a harsh attack on the ruling coalition partner, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
He claimed that by not bringing the canals project to the CCI, the PML-N-led federal government was evading the constitutional framework. Terming water a very delicate topic, the imprisoned leader noted that agreement over the 1991 Water Accord had taken decades. He remembered that every federating unit agreed that water issues would be settled at the CCI.
PTI chief attacks Bilawal for his “confused stance” in an open letter from jail.
Any choice taken without agreement will burden the federation, he advised.
Given that the project has already been started, Mr. Qureshi inquired about how the discussions as suggested by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would take place. He questioned whether the federal government would postpone the project until the CCI achieves agreement.
“If PM Shehbaz Sharif is not ready to declare that, then how will he satisfy his coalition partner and the people of Sindh, who have raised serious concerns over the canals project?” Mr. Queshi said.
Mr Queshi stated that on the one hand, the PPP chairman had approved the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI), but on the other, he expressed opposition to the new canals, which were part of the project, calling Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s recent presser at Islamabad confusing.
Likewise, Mr. Bhutto-Zardari had opposed corporate farming, which, based on the GPI, would draw investment in the agriculture industry and support technological transfer for greater output.
He claimed the PPP leader had floated the concept of collective farming without disclosing any specifics on how it might be carried out on the ground. “This confused and contradictory approach adopted by the coalition partners will not only stall the GPI, but also widen the debate considerably,” he said.
Launched this month in Punjab’s Cholistan region, the program aims to give farmers with premium seeds, fertilisers, sophisticated machinery and scientific support to raise agricultural output.
But the project has generated controversy since Sindh objects to it. The province worries about a shortage for human use and agriculture resulting from the canals draining water from Indus.
Not only does the PPP-led provincial government oppose, practically all spheres of life have voiced their criticism of the initiative.
Political parties, bar groups, women activists, etc. have staged rallies against the project in different areas of Sindh ever since construction was started in mid-February.
