Rabbani resents Ahsan Iqbal’s new canal plan on Indus River in Punjab

ISLAMABAD: Former Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani took strong exception to the statement of Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on the construction of six canals on the Indus River, and said the Federal Minister for Planning should respect provincial autonomy under the Constitution, 1973, the Water Accord, the rights of the Sindh being lower riparian and the sentiments of the people of the province while making a statement on new canals on the Indus River in Punjab.

Rabbani stated, “The decision to construct new canals to divert water from the Indus River for farming in Punjab’s Cholistan region cannot be unilaterally made by the Federal Government.”

He criticized Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s statement and emphasized that this issue should have been addressed at the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which the Federal Government has not convened during its current term.

Raza Rabbani said this issue should have been and should be, brought before the Council of Common Interest (CCI) which the Federal Government has failed to call since inspection of its present tenure. He said the agriculture sector is the linchpin of the provincial economy, Sindh also contributes approximately 23% of the federation’s national value-added; 41% of the national output of rice; 31% of sugarcane and 21% of wheat. He said Sindh has already been devoid of its just and rightful share of water.

The Former Chairman Senate said the Provincial Government has written to the Federal Government to summon a meeting of the CCI, which it continues to avoid. Raza Rabbani said the people of Sindh have expressed their severe reservations about the construction of the said canals and have been holding continuous demonstrations throughout the province. Given the already destabilized political atmosphere, Raza Rabbani warned that federal political tensions will only add to destabilization, which can harm the system and the federation.