Sindh raises issue of water share in CCI

ISLAMABAD: Sindh has again raised the question of water sharing in the Council of Common Interest (CCI) during its 38th meeting held here on Sunday. The experts have reminded yet another time that construction of new water reservoirs is the sole answer of the complexities in this regard. The CCI meeting was held at the Prime Minster House and chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

It took up number of issues relating to the economy and inter-provincial ties. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo attended the meeting but interestingly Punjab and KP were represented by their senior officials in the absence of their Chief Ministers Shahbaz Sharif and Pervez Khattack respectively.

Well-placed inside sources told The News that Sindh raised the issue pertaining to the share of its water and contented that it is already getting lesser share and whenever these is drought like situation and the province faces shortage of water, its share is unchanged.

Sindh has been asked that the remedy lies in construction of new reservoirs but the province has limited role in it. It has been officially stated that a detailed presentation was given by the Ministry of Water Resources on availability of water in the country and its distribution among various provinces as per the Water Apportionment Accord 1991.

It was decided to constitute a committee, to be headed by Attorney General of Pakistan Aushtar Ausaf Ali with one representative each from the provinces, to look into the issues and to present its recommendations to the next CCI meeting. The Attorney General will convene the meeting of the committee next week immediate upon issuance of notification. The Chief Secretaries of the four provinces attended the meeting of the CCI.

The sources said that Chief Minister Sindh and Balochistan also had brief chat with Prime Minister Abbasi regarding the overall situation prevailing in their provinces. They also had informal discussion regarding the electioneering in the country. Federal Minister for inter-provincial coordination Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Secretary to the Prime Minister (SPM) Fawad Hsasan Fawad also attended the meeting.