Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has congratulated PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for successfully halting the controversial canal project, calling it a victory for Sindh, the federation, and democratic institutions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accepted the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) stance on the issue in principle, a development he credited to Bilawal’s firm leadership.
“This is not just Sindh’s win, but a triumph for democracy and the federal spirit of Pakistan,” said Murad Ali Shah.
Welcoming the upcoming meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) scheduled for May 2, the Chief Minister affirmed that Sindh would forcefully present its case and push for the formal withdrawal of the canal project during the session.
“As long as the PPP stands, not a single drop of Sindh’s water will be given away,” Shah asserted, emphasizing the party’s unwavering stance on protecting the province’s water rights.
Read more: Govt agrees to PPP demands; pauses construction of canals on Indus river
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said no new canals would be built without mutual consensus by provinces in the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
The decision also comes amidst the backdrop of India unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty on Wednesday.
Tensions between the coalition partners kept rising on the project called Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI). Under this project, six canals will be built across the country to irrigate millions of acres of barren lands costing around $3.3 billion.
The project was launched in 2023 by Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The ambitious project aims to build canals across all four provinces; however, PPP has outright rejected the development, arguing that it infringes on Sindh’s water shares.
The Sindh Assembly also passed a unanimous resolution against the project in March. For the past few months, PPP and Sindh nationalist political parties have staged widespread protests against the construction of canals on Indus River.
